Dark Council 101
by Steakanator
Summary: Darth Nox, heir to Tulak Hord and Kallig, head of the Pyramid of Ancient Knowledge. The newest member of the Dark Council is guiding curious listeners through his life's story, to spread knowledge to hopeful Sith. Rated K plus for language, death and questionable scenes.
1. Chapter 1

All characters and locations are taken from Star Wars: the Old Republic and therefore belong to EA/Bioware.

Some dialogue is also from this game, however some of it is mine. For those of you who have played the game, it should be quite easy to tell the difference.

* * *

"Hello, and welcome to 'Becoming a Dark Council Member 101,'" Ashara Zavros chimed. "May I present to you, Darth Nox."

The crowd of young apprentices jostled around, anxious to see this new Sith Lord. When news broke out that a member of the Dark Council had been replaced, everyone jumped at the chance to see this presentation that was being held by them. It was well known that the Sith - and especially those on the council - were particularly secretive, so this was quite the opportunity. Everyone waited with anticipation.

The Sith Lord then emerged from his room. Everyone bowed in unison, including Ashara. Here stood Darth Nox, the most recently appointed member of the Dark Council. He was a human, whose skin was probably white in the past, but had turned a pale yellow from the dark side corruption. He was tall and lean, with dark robes that came down to the floor, and a hood that currently was off. His bright yellow eyes scanned the crowd intently.

"Rise," he commanded.

Everyone rose, murmuring amongst themselves.

"I am Darth Nox, heir to Tulak Hord and Kallig, head of the Pyramid of Ancient Knowledge," Nox began. "I am the newest member of the Dark Council, and today I shall recount my story so that you all may understand the true nature of the Sith."

The murmuring picked back up, everyone anxious to begin.

"Come inside, and take a seat," Nox beckoned, returning to his room.

It was a small meditation chamber, with mats covering the entire floor. The walls were completely white, and nothing stood out in the room besides a small table near the back. It had a couple of items sitting on it, but nothing too exciting. As the apprentices filed in and took their seats, Nox walked to the front of the room.

"The events that I will recount today will most likely not happen to any of you," Nox began. "I do this so that you all understand what it took for me to become a Dark Council member, given that most of you will never experience this. Am I understood?"

A collective "Yes, my lord," rang out in the room.

"Very well. Then let's begin with a quick bit of backstory," Nox said, clearing his throat.

* * *

(As this will be Nox telling the story, I'll switch to first person)

My family was a slave family, far off in the outer rim. We owned nothing, slept outside in the same fields that we tended to, and were otherwise treated like crap. We did good work, so we were never beaten, which I suppose is more than you could say for some other slaves. My father always talked about how our family used to be respected and feared, and that one day we would make the galaxy remember us. I did not know my family name; I was a slave, like my father and his. We had no name, and if we did, nobody knew it.

Some days, after the sun had gone down, I would see my mother stumbling out of the house, clearly drained and in immense pain. My mother always told me that she was fine, and my father warned me to remember my place in this hierarchy. I knew that they were trying to protect me, but I also knew the truth. Slave or not, I wasn't going to let anybody hurt my mother.

I had managed to catch them in the act once. It appears that my owners were getting bolder, as I could hear her screams coming from inside the house. I ignored it for many days, as my parents had instructed me to. I was distracted, and my work started getting slower and sloppier. As a result, I was beaten, and threatened many times. I let the pain drive me, until one day, I snapped.

I could hear her screaming as loud as ever, so I stopped working and looked up. My supervisor noticed my slacking, and smacked me, calling me a useless piece of filth. Acting purely out of anger, I thrust my hands forwards at him. To my surprise, lightning shot out of my fingertips and struck him in the chest. He flew backwards and hit the wall of the house, dead.

I didn't stop there. I took my rake and immediately went inside. To my horror, I saw my mother, lying on the floor, barely conscious. My owner stood over her, panting, a predatory look in his eyes. They were both half-naked, and even as an uneducated slave, I could put two and two together. This was the last straw.

I thrust one hand forward, and a bolt of lightning shot out of my fingers. It connected with my owner, and he roared in pain, his entire body shaking from the lightning. I took this opportunity and rushed him, rake in hand. I drew it back and slashed him across the face, sending him flying backwards and landing faceup on the floor. Running to him, I brought the handle down on his face, then raised it up so I could do it again. I brought the handle down over and over, blood spattering onto my face with each strike.

Gasping for air, I dropped the rake and turned towards the entrance. There, I saw a man slowly walk in. I could identify those robes anywhere; that man was a Sith. Vowing not to die that day, I shot lightning directly at him, but he merely put his hand up, and the lightning dissipated. He shot lightning back at me, and I remember feeling the greatest pain of my life before blacking out.

I don't know how long had passed until I woke up. I found myself in an Imperial room, with other slaves around me. After regaining full consciousness, I noticed that I had a Sith training saber next to me. The news was brought to me shortly after: I was going to become a Sith Acolyte.

* * *

"You mean they take slaves to become Acolytes?" one voice piped up.

"Indeed," Nox responded. "A Sith by the name Harkun is the Overseer who handles the slaves. What a piece of work he was."

"We've all passed our trials," another voice said. "We know what they're like. Can you get to the good stuff?"

"Patience," Nox advised. "If this wasn't important, I wouldn't bring it up."

* * *

I was only at the Imperial building for a few days, enough to learn some basic lightsaber technique and slightly refine my Lightning. It wasn't long before I was herded onto a shuttle with five other slaves. I made eye contact with nobody; I knew enough about how the Sith operated to know that everyone here was my enemy. This would be survival of the fittest, and there was no way I was dying now.

I can still remember the shuttle's descent onto the surface. Red rock stretching out in all directions, the only break being the Imperial building in front of us. The other acolytes and I filed out of the shuttle after it landed. I lagged behind the group, taking in the view. I got a very dirty sidelong glance from one of the other acolytes, but I ignored it. After growing up in pure filth, this was a welcome change of pace.

When I was good and ready, I followed the group inside. They were all gathered around a man, who I later learned to be Overseer Harkun. He didn't have on Sith robes, choosing a simpler tunic and pants. His hair was cut short, shaved off most of his head, save a small mohawk. I could tell by his steely gaze that he already disliked me.

"Ah, the last one to arrive is finally here. I hope you don't think you're special," Harkun sneered at me. "It would be a shame if freedom went to your head, or if you somehow got the idea that you didn't need to pass your trials to become Sith."

I glared at him; the dislike was mutual.

"Lord Zash has tasked me with sorting through you refuse to find one worthy of being her apprentice, and I intend to do just that," he continued.

"Who is this Zash?" I asked, having never heard the name before.

"That's Lord Zash to you, slave." Harkun spat that last word at me. "She's a Dark Lord of the Sith and more important than you'll ever be."

The other acolytes turned to face me, but I just stared at Harkun, not even flinching. His goal was to get under my skin, and I wasn't about to let him win.

"Now, the rest of you gutter trash already know your trial. Get going while I bring our latecomer up to speed," Harkun ordered.

As the group left, one acolyte lagged behind. "Watch your back, friend. And don't worry. It'll be alright. He can't kill us all," she told me.

Not in the mood to talk to anyone right then, I dismissed her. "A Sith fears no one," I responded.

She shrugged. "Suit yourself," she said, turning around and leaving.

"Now, slave, for your trial," Harkun began. "There's a hermit named Spindrall who lives in the tomb of Ajunta Pall in the Valley of the Dark Lords. Spindrall's a lunatic, but Lord Zash sees him as some kind of prophet. Once you find him, he will test you."

"I'll do my best to please Spindrall and accomplish this trial," I said, wanting to get away from this bitter old man.

"But there - you know your trial," Harkun continued. "Spindrall lives in the tomb of Ajunta Pall in the Valley of the Dark Lords."

He turned to leave, but took one look back. "Don't keep Spindrall waiting, slave," he concluded, leaving me.

As soon as I went outside, all I could see were legions of klor'slugs. I spent a good amount of time cutting those things down; partially to test out this training blade they stuck me with, and partially to see how many of those pests I could kill. I had seen the other acolytes go ahead of me, so I knew that I would be the last to make it. Because of that, I wasn't really in a rush.

I did eventually make it to Spindrall's chambers within the tomb. Immediately, I noticed the big, open space at the bottom of a massive staircase. I saw six acolytes, all training on various dummies. At the top of the staircase was Spindrall. He was a scrawny man with his hood covering his head. He knelt, facing away from me, meditating on something or other.

"Slave," he said, standing up. "Welcome to my humble hole."

He turned to face me. His skin was wrinkled, and his facial hair unkempt. Everything about him seemed quite typical for a hermit. His eyes were old and tired, most likely due to his age and lack of sunlight. He stared right at me, as if trying to get a sense of who I was without me saying anything.

"You are here for your trial, yes?" he asked. "Learn the ways of the Sith from a doddering old man in a tomb. And hopefully to return to your master with the mark of my approval."

"Yes, my lord. That's right," I responded.

"Of course it is," Spindrall snorted. "I know the way of things on the surface."

I was slightly taken aback by Spindrall's response. Perhaps this hermit was more sane than Harkun made him out to be.

"But before I answer either way," he continued. "You must pass a trial of blood. Survive, and I will teach you what I know."

Without acknowledging my response, Spindrall turned around and knelt down again. I nodded, and slowly descended back down the stairs. As I walked, I took inventory of the acolytes. Some were working with lightsabers, others with force lightning. It was quite clear that these acolytes had been preparing for a fight, and I was their chance to prove themselves. These thoughts rushed through my head as I entered the center of the room.

All of them stopped what they were doing, and formed a wide circle around me. As they drew their training blades, I drew mine, quickly darting my view back and forth. I had to single-handedly kill six other acolytes in order to pass my very first trial. Needless to say, I was terrified, which turned out to be a powerful weapon.

One acolyte rushed me. As we traded blows, I saw the others looking at me hungrily, waiting for their chance at the fresh meat. I attempted to figure out a strategy to beat this guy quickly. As he brought his blade down for an overhand strike, I sidestepped, causing him to over-extend. As his blade crashed into the ground, I whirled around and caught him in the back.

Two more rushed me, side by side. I noticed that the one on the right was slightly faster, so I targeted him. I raised my saber to block his, transferring the blade to my left hand. As our blades collided, I shot a small burst of lightning at the other, causing him to fall back. I took this chance to rush the first. This turned out to be a wise choice, as he was unable to stop my attack. A jab at his right arm caused him to drop his saber, and a slash across the chest sealed the win. His partner was still stunned, so I turned to him and ended his life as well.

The last three were grouped together, so I took a chance and tried to defeat them all while I still had the momentum. I extended both arms, and a stream of lightning shot out. The one in the middle held out his blade, and the lightning connected, forking out to both sides. The stream of lightning poured into the two other acolytes, the apparent leader standing in the middle. As the other two acolytes fell, I stopped my lightning, and the final acolyte rushed me.

Compared to the others, this acolyte's bladework was tight and controlled. I tried multiple times to create an opening, but his blade always managed to end up back in front of him. I fell back, desperate to create space. He pressed the attack, not allowing me any room to breathe, clearly confident in his techniques. With every blow, I was getting more and more terrified.

I decided to try a cheap trick. As he went for a sideways strike, I strafed to the side as I blocked. With this angle opened, I swung my elbow up and connected with his jaw. This caused him to step back, and I took my chance. I rushed him with the same flurry he charged me with, only his defense was much weaker. I started making him backpedal, and from there it wasn't long before he slipped up. One parry too wide allowed me access to his midsection, and my saber went cleanly across it.

I breathed heavily as I deactivated my training saber. Strapping it to my back, I looked around at the room of dead acolytes. I had managed to single-handedly kill six other acolytes in a massive fight to the death. While I wasn't really looking for Harkun's approval, hopefully after this he would have a little more respect for me. The thought comforted me as I climbed the steps back up to Spindrall.

"Excellent," he said, standing up as I approached. "These former acolytes wanted nothing more than to earn their second chance for glory by killing you and taking your place."

That notion sat strange with me. Was he implying that if one of these acolytes were to have beaten me, that they would have taken my place in my group of acolytes? I quickly realized that the stakes were higher than I originally thought.

"But your desire proved stronger, and their blood became the mantle of your victory. Well done," Spindrall added, looking me directly in the eyes. "But you are not Sith yet."

He began pacing back and forth, breaking his gaze on me. I watched him intently, focused on what he was going to say.

"Peace is a lie, there is only passion. Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, power. Through power, victory. Through victory, my chains are broken." Spindrall recited the Sith code in a very methodical manner, clearly having memorized it. "This is the Sith Code. Commit it to your heart, and you will have the strength to crush your enemies. Do you understand?" he asked.

"Of course," I responded. "I was born to be Sith!"

"Then go," Spindrall said, nodding. "Return to Harkun and nurture your hatred for him. And use your fear of him to grow stronger."

For the first time since he started talking, I saw his gaze go less steely, as if he was looking at more than just another acolyte. He looked at me as if I were an old friend, and he had some sound advice for me.

"He may raise his fist to strike, but it is Lord Zash who determines where the blow will land," he reminded me.

"But who controls Zash, I wonder," I responded, hoping for more info.

"When you know the answer to that, you will have power over both your masters," Spindrall assured me. "Now go! Leave me to my rest." He turned around and resumed meditating.

I left without another word, seeing as everything that needed to be said had already been said. As I progressed through the rest of the tomb, I felt a new power within. The klor'slugs I encountered were nothing more than insects to me, similar to the tomb looters I ran into closer to the exit. Everyone that approached me was cut down in an instant. It was a power that I never thought possible for a slave child like me; the power of freedom.

I nearly lost my breath when I exited the tomb and saw the academy. The sheer magnitude of the statues was awe-inspiring, the building being built into the rock faces. It was the same black as other Imperial buildings, with royal guards and Imperial sentries dotted around. I saw other acolytes and apprentices talking, sparring, and meditating. This was where the lives of potential Sith were decided, and I was very much a part of this.

Clearly you all know what the inside of the Sith Academy looks like, since you're all standing in it, so I'll cut that part short. Harkun's room was off to the side and near the back. This caused me to run through many hallways filled with various high ranking Sith Lords. This was probably done to intimidate me, but all it did was motivate me. I had spent my whole life surrounded by people with more authority than me, so this was nothing.

"Ah, the last one. Always the latecomer," Harkun sneered as I entered. "Now we can see what the hermit thinks of you slime."

Everyone else turned to look at me. I didn't react, instead choosing to take my spot in the center of the group. I looked over and got a sidelong glance from the same guy that gave me the death stare outside of the shuttle. I could remember that face anywhere, and something about it was unsettling. It didn't really matter, seeing as one of us would be dead by the end of this; it was my job to ensure that it wasn't me.

"Acolyte Kory. Step forward, please," the overseer said, clearly struggling with that last word.

"Yes, overseer," a familiar voice replied. I looked over and saw the same acolyte that had talked to me before the first trial.

"You are a weak, pathetic rodent and even a lunatic like Spindrall can see this," Harkun said. "And that means-"

He extended his arm, and a stream of lightning began pouring out of his fingers. The current engulfed Kory, who writhed and screamed in pain. I was stunned, but impressed. Harkun's lightning was clearly much more potent than mine. He kept it up for another few seconds, before finally lowering his arm. As the lightning faded, Kory dropped to the floor, dead.

"Meet our newcomer - Ffon Althe," Harkun said, paying no more attention to the dead acolyte at his feet. "This is real Sith strength, and he will tear you apart and crush your bones, slaves."

I looked over at that same bitter acolyte, and sighed. It looks like I had found the teacher's pet, and it also looked like neither of them were particularly fond of me. Were those two facts related? I couldn't tell you. All I knew is that I was in for a tough run with this group.

"Look on him! No connections left in the world, but pure Sith blood," Harkun continued. "This - this is Lord Zash's future apprentice! Not filth like you."

I sighed impatiently. "Congratulations on your new pet. Now give us the next trial."

Harkun stared daggers at me. "Step this way, slave. I want to speak to you privately. The rest of you - get out of here. You know your trials." He turned to his favourite acolyte. "You too Ffon. Spindrall awaits."

Once everyone had left, Harkun focused his gaze on me. "Now, listen to me. Spindrall is a lunatic. His approval means nothing. You are filth and you will die. Is that clear?" he asked.

"You stay out of my way, I'll stay out of yours," I responded, trying to stay as composed as possible.

"Shut your mouth, wretch," he spat. "Now, your second trial: Lord Zash has requested a special trial for you, which you will no doubt fail. Go to Inquisitor Zyn in the jails. He will fill you in on the details - and most likely, hasten your demise."

"I'll be there in but a moment," I told him, eager to get out of there.

"I don't want to see you until you're back from the jails. That's all." Harkun dismissed me with a wave of his hand.

I turned and left, the image of Kory writhing in pain etched into my brain. As I made my way through the jails, I tried to understand what motivated Harkun. While it was true that all Sith used anger to fuel them, I struggled to figure out why he despised us so much. Did he hate us because we were slaves? Perhaps there was more going on that I didn't know about. I sighed, and continued walking. I had more important things to worry about.

I reached the jails, taking in the room. Inquisitor Zyn was off in a room to the side. He was quite large, with blue robes that were clearly custom made for him. An acolyte was strapped onto an interrogation rack, staring at me. I quickly put two and two together. The thought excited me, being on the other end of the shackles. This would potentially be the best trial possible.

"Acolyte! You've arrived and not a moment too soon," Zyn greeted me, with quite a cheery tone. "Harkun has given me very specific instructions. You were raised as a slave but must discard those traits and learn to control others. And I have just the task for that end."

He gestured towards the acolyte on the interrogation rack. "Meet this driveling excuse for an acolyte. He will be your victim," he said.

"Victim, huh?" I asked, excited from the notion. "This sounds like it could be fun."

"This is not an idle diversion, acolyte," Zyn reminded me. "A short while ago, there was what we call an 'unauthorized murder' here at the academy. A rivalry among apprentices resulted in death." He pointed at the acolyte again. "Interrogate him. Make him tell you who committed this crime, at any cost."

I smiled again, ignoring his previous warning. "Cover your ears - this may get a little loud."

Zyn chuckled. "Thank you for the warning, but I prefer to cherish every scream."

I nodded, and turned to the acolyte. I looked him dead and the eye, and was met with pure terror. I knew terror, given that I had experienced it a fair amount when I was younger. I tried to think about everything I knew about torture as I slowly walked in front of him. It was still strange being on the other end of the imminent torment, but I tried to put those thoughts behind me.

"P-please don't hurt me," the acolyte, Alif, pleaded. "I don't know anything."

I sneered. "Scream weakling. I want to hear your suffering!" I extended my hand and a stream of lightning escaped from my fingertips.

"Aaaaaargh!" he screamed, as the lightning coursed through him. I soon relented. "Please. Don't do that again. I'll do anything…"

"What shouldn't I do again?" I asked. "This?"

I extended both arms, lightning spraying out of both hands. Alif wailed as I unleashed absolute torment on his body, lightning flowing through his veins like blood. He writhed against the rack and struggled to get out of the restraints. His cries were probably heard throughout the jails.

"Stop! Please. All right. All right, I'll talk. He'll kill me, but I'll talk." Alif pleaded. "The murderer is an apprentice named Essor Kayin. You'll have to protect me or he'll kill me."

"I doubt that," I responded. "He'll be too busy being punished for murder."

"Kayin's master's a Dark Council member - you might as well try fighting the emperor himself. Kayin won't get so much as a reprimand," Alif said, his head hanging as the last couple of words trailed off. He looked up at me. "But when Kayin finds out, he'll come after me."

"Not if I have any say in the matter," I said. Hopefully a Dark Council member's apprentice would be more of a challenge than the tomb acolytes.

"It's a nice thought, but I doubt it," Alif responded, trembling. "Maybe you could persuade the Inquisitor to protect me. Unlikely though, it's not the Sith way."

I turned away from the acolyte. Was the Dark Council so powerful that their apprentices could be exempted from crimes? If this were true, then that would be power beyond anything I had ever seen or heard. I knew that I despised the Empire, but if this was the power that Sith could acquire, it might be worth my time to survive these trials. I certainly had no plans to die that day.

"You don't have to tell me," Zyn said as I approached. "I heard the name loud and clear, though I sorely wish I hadn't: Essor Kayin."

Zyn sighed, and paced back and forth. "Kayin's master is a Dark Council Member… I'd be a fool to oppose him," he admitted. "But anyway, your trial here is done. I will send my commendations to Overseer Harkun. You may return to him now."

"What are you going to do about the murderer?" I asked.

"Nothing - although the apprentice's master will have to be informed," Zyn told me. "It's not my business to dispense justice, certainly not where the Dark Council is concerned."

I nodded. "That makes a certain sense."

"I'm glad you think so," he responded, smiling. "It's been most pleasant watching you work, acolyte. Truly, I wish you the best of luck in your remaining trials."

* * *

"I never did meet this Essor Kayin," Nox admitted. "In hindsight, it may be for the better."

"Why did you want to fight this apprentice?" one apprentice spoke up.

"I wondered this myself for a while," Nox responded. "It was probably adrenaline. I had just finished killing six acolytes and torturing another, and I was presented with the opportunity to take on an even larger challenge. I guess I was pretty power hungry back then."

There was a collective chuckle, then Nox resumed.

* * *

"Well, well, well," Harkun said as I returned. "I had been looking forward to cutting another one of you down, but it looks like I'll be spared the trouble. Unsurprisingly, Niloc has gone missing."

I looked around, and sure enough, we were short an acolyte. I didn't know this Niloc, but I did feel for him. He didn't deserve to die here; not of us did. Except Ffon. How I wanted to thrust my lightsaber through his chest, and watch him try and fail to say something comprehensible. Of course, I wanted to survive the ordeal, which would be much tougher.

"Also unsurprisingly, Ffon has passed his first trial," Harkun continued. "It's only a matter of time before he tramples you all underfoot."

"I'll tear you apart where you stand, slave!" Ffon spat at me. I tossed a glance at him, then returned my gaze to the overseer.

"Patience, Ffon - an accident in the tombs is more convincing," Harkun told him. Was that a joke? I couldn't really tell. "Now the lot of you know your next task - go. I want to speak to Ffon and our latecomer."

The others looked at me sympathetically as they left. This would be my second special trial, and it apparently would be head-to-head against the teacher's pet. While the odds looked against me, I wasn't really nervous. Perhaps I was still high on the adrenaline rush, but it didn't matter to me at the time. This would be my chance to prove, without a doubt, that I was better than this insufferable piece of trash.

"Now, slave," Harkun said, being very careful to remind me of my past. "Zyn says you handled yourself expertly and as much as I find this difficult to believe, Lord Zash is satisfied with his evaluation. Undoubtedly, Zyn helped you in some way - but you will not have his help on the next trial."

I sighed, and shook my head. It was quite clear, at this point, that Harkun would always hate me. There was nothing I could do to change that, so I decided to stop trying. From that point on, my only concern with Harkun was surviving his trials, proving that I was the best, and seeing Ffon dead at my feet when it was all over.

"Both you and Ffon will have trials of intellect," Harkun explained. "Trials that test your ability to apply your understanding of the Force to solve problems."

"You don't expect a slave to be a match for me in intellect!" Ffon exclaimed. "I've been trained under the greatest teachers -"

"Calm down Ffon," Harkun interrupted. "I certainly do not expect this slave to be a match for you. That's why you will have separate trials."

"Truly, your generosity astounds," I sighed.

"You're only digging your own grave," Harkun spat.

Ffon looked at me and chuckled, but I didn't break my gaze with Harkun.

"Ffon, you will go to the library on the second floor of the Academy and translate the following texts for Lord Zash," Harkun explained, handing Ffon some tablets.

"Yes, overseer," Ffon replied, turning around and leaving.

"Slave, deep in the ancient, monster-infested tomb of Marka Ragnos, there is a holocron filled with dark secrets and encased in a great stone monument," Harkun said with a very sinister tone. "No one has figured out how to release the holocron from its stone prison in over a thousand years. You will bring this holocron to me, or you will die."

I shrugged. "Well, it beats going to the library I suppose…"

"Spoken like the idiot you are," Harkun retorted. Truly, this man was an imbecile. "You will bring back the holocron or hope that the spirit of Marka Ragnos himself returns to end your miserable existence. Now go!"

I thought about that exchange as I took the taxi to the lower areas of Korriban. The red landscape didn't do too much to inspire me, anyways. If Harkun was so intent on having this Ffon guy succeed, why did he stick him in the group of slaves? Sure, it would probably be easier, but if this guy was so good then he shouldn't need the help. I decided not to think about it too much; when I was in charge, these guys wouldn't be worth anecdotes.

I got off the taxi and went walking along Korriban's less colonized area. It was nothing but red rock and desert everywhere. There were some members of the Imperial military dotted around, but they looked quite out of it, the heat probably driving them mad. They left me well enough alone, so I did the same.

I made my way to the tomb, which looked exactly like the first one. I sighed, not really looking forward to this again. Just inside the entrance stood another acolyte, leaning against the wall. He gave me a look and a sinister smile, standing up straight and reaching for his saber. As I drew mine, he sprinted towards me. He raised his arm for an overhand strike, and I smiled. I sidestepped to the left, and brought my blade upwards to meet his, slicing right through his wrist. He dropped to the floor and screamed, clutching his arm. I continued walking in, and the other acolytes let me without another incident.

Within the room I was looking for, there was the great stone monument that Harkun had spared no effort in selling. There were a handful of shyrack around the monument, but I cut them down moments later. I climbed up the stairs to the top of the monument, staring at it intently. Honestly, I had no idea what to do.

"Let's see how you like this!" I yelled, smacking it with my saber.

The tomb shuddered, and more shyrack began pouring out from the walls and ceiling. I cut them down as they approached, the pile of dead bodies piling up at my feet. As the last one fell, I took a deep breath to rethink my situation. Clearly, that was not the solution.

"Just open damn it!" I yelled again. I extended my arms and shot lightning at the monument.

As the stream of Force energy poured into it, the monument shuddered again. I continued, unrelenting, throwing more of my energy at it. Eventually, I saw the top start to crack, until eventually it opened, revealing the holocron. I stopped, breathing heavily. I grabbed the holocron from the pedestal, staring into the tiny cube that had caused me so much annoyance. I tucked it into my back pocket and left quickly.

* * *

"You shot lightning at it?" an acolyte asked. "How come nobody else thought of that?"

Nox shrugged. "I can't speak for the others, nor do I know what they tried. As the head of the pyramid of dark knowledge, I planned on going back into the tomb at some point to find out how I opened it. Until then, nobody knows."

There was a period of silence. "Why did Harkun love Ffon so much?" someone asked.

"He was pureblooded," Nox responded. "Harkun despised anything else, which was quite annoying. However, I was about to find out just how much he loved his new pet."

* * *

"You better not be wasting my time, slave," Harkun said as I entered the room. "You better have the holocron."

I could see the smirk on Ffon's face, clearly doubting that I succeeded. Both his and Harkun's eyes widened, and I heard a gasp as I pulled the holocron out. I handed it to the overseer, and he quickly snatched it, looking it over. I turned to Ffon, still visibly surprised, and stared directly at him. He scowled and turned away, his ego hopefully brought down a bit.

"A fake, or stolen from the library, probably. I'll deal with you later," Harkun said. I knew that he was lying, but I also knew that he wouldn't let a slave have the upper hand in a conversation. "Now - I believe it's time for another demonstration. Gerr, step forward."

"Yes, overseer," Geer responded, stepping forward. He was slightly taller and more well built. His face betrayed his emotions, however; he was terrified.

"Ffon - kill him," Harkun commanded.

"With pleasure, overseer," Ffon responded, stepping to the front of the group.

Gerr turned to run, but Ffon extended his arm and a blast of lightning came streaming out. Gerr dropped to the floor, writhing in pain as Ffon let the torrent course through him. He stopped the stream, then pulled out his blade. Gerr slowly looked back, just in time for Ffon to slash him across the chest. As he collapsed, Ffon sheathed his blade and returned to his spot.

"Let Gerr be an example to you," Harkun announced. "Ffon destroyed him easily, like he will destroy all of you. Are there any other objections?"

"You are only giving us power, Harkun," I said.

"And your comments are only hastening your own death, slave," Harkun responded.

I heard a snicker from beside me. I looked over and saw Ffon, once again staring at me and trying to suppress a smile. I turned back to Harkun, vowing to have them both dead one day.

"Now, the rest of you know the next trial. Go," Harkun commanded. "You, slave - you stay here."

I watched as the other three acolytes left. At the start, there were seven of us, now there are four. I knew that the other two - twins, probably - were no match for myself or Ffon. That meant that all I could do was pass my trials, bide my time. I had to utterly destroy Ffon; simply beating him wasn't an option at this point.

"Now, slave," Harkun said, really putting emphasis on the word 'slave.' "You think yourself pretty clever getting that holocron, don't you?"

"Stop with your taunts and give me my next trial," I responded. I was done with his sarcasm.

"If you wish to prolong your life, you will not make demands of me again, slave," Harkun spat. "Now, for your trial: The last, darkest secrets of Tulak Hord are buried in his tomb. Lord Zash wants this text."

He handed me a datapad with info that Lord Zash was looking for. Clearly I was meant to find texts that correspond with this info. I scrolled through the list, mostly drowning out Harkun.

"But," he continued, "The final resting place of the dead lord is not so easily trespassed. You will not be the first to die there."

I looked up at him."I will return with the texts."

"Do not come back here until you've gotten that text from Tulak Hord's tomb. Out of my sight, slave," Harkun commanded, again putting emphasis on the final word.

I turned and left quickly. The first tomb was just outside of the academy, so I made my way inside. Imperial guards patrolled the first half of it, but as soon as I stopped seeing them, all I saw were shyracks. These guys were everywhere; I cut a countless amount of them down before finding the tablet. I took a piece for authenticity, before scanning the rest. After scanning it, I made my way back and to the other exit, seeing that I had two more texts to find.

I emerged from the tomb in yet another valley full of red rock. Similar to the last, there were crazed Imperial troopers everywhere. I made my way around them quickly, trying to get this trial finished quickly. Despite avoiding the guards, there were still plenty of shyracks in each of the last two tombs. I could see how acolytes could get overwhelmed in this trial. I trusted my bladework, and swiftly grabbed the last two texts. Again, no signs of the other acolytes anywhere. After grabbing the texts, I made my way out of the valley, trying not to waste any time.

Once I returned to the academy, I started thinking about who would fail this. Clearly I had finished it, and if Ffon was as good as Harkun made him sound then he must've cleared it. There were only two others, and if they were twins as I previously thought, they would definitely help each other finish. I honestly had no idea what to think. I took a deep breath before going down the hallway to Harkun's room.

"Yes, yes. Remarkable. Magnificent," I heard a voice say off to the side.

I looked over and saw what must've been Lord Zash. She was young, with short blond hair. I saw her studying the holocron that I had brought back. While I had no idea what was inside, she was gazing over it, clearly intrigued by what she saw. She must've been a curator of knowledge or something. It made some sense why Harkun wanted Ffon to be her apprentice; her intellect would be matched by his raw power. Truly an interesting thought.

"You, slave. Wait, no - acolyte," Zash said, looking up at me. "You're the one who brought me this magnificent holocron from the tomb of Marka Ragnos, yes?"

"Yes, my lord," I responded. "I found the holocron."

"Unbelievable. One thousand years, buried in that tomb. Sith Lords passing it by. And then - the most unlikely person comes along," she says, in a very praising tone. "Tell me, how did you manage it?"

I shrugged. "I shot lightning at it, and it opened."

"Such a simple solution - why did none of us think of that?" Zash asked. "We must have thought too deeply on it, believed too strongly that it could not be done. Or perhaps we were simply not meant to open it."

I shifted back and forth, uncomfortably trying to get going and finish this trial.

"Your work so far - in bringing back this holocron and now the text from Tulak Hord's tomb - has me intrigued," Zash continued. "I am watching your progress eagerly. I have high hopes for you, acolyte. Sky high."

I swallowed a lump. "I hope I live up to them," I responded.

"Good luck, acolyte. Good luck," she said, before turning and leaving.

I stopped for a second. That was Lord Zash, the Sith that all of us were fighting over. The survivor of our group becomes her apprentice. Not only has she given me special trials, but I have completed them all well above her expectations. I remembered back to Spindrall's advice, "He may raise his fist to strike, but it is Lord Zash who determines where the blow will land," and smiled. Things were looking up for me.

"I was just about to send Ffon off," Harkun said as I entered. "What delayed you, slave?"

I pulled out my blade and cleaned it on my tunic. "I like to stop and smell the blood," I responded.

Harkun's brow furrowed. "You'll be smelling your own blood soon," he responded. "Now, did you collect the text from Tulak Hord's tomb?"

"Just take it already," I responded, placing them on the desk.

"Give it here - most likely it's been badly damaged," Harkun said, not even looking at it before placing it off to the side. "It's what we get for sending a careless lowlife to do a Sith's job. Isn't that right, Ffon?"

"What are we waiting for, overseer?" Ffon asked. "Why don't we kill this wretch now?"

"You have a big mouth, slave, but no combat skills," Harkun told me. "I don't want to see you again until you've satisfied the Korriban instructors."

I looked at Ffon. It was still unbelievable how prejudiced Harkun was against me, to the point where Ffon could openly talk about the two of them murdering me. As much as I wanted to, there was nothing I could do. Even if I cut Ffon down where he stood, there was no way I could match Harkun in combat. If by some miracle I did, I'd have the rest of the Academy to take on. I decided that, more than ever, I had to out-maneuver Ffon in the trials.

"The training facility is on the second floor of the academy, and is usually reserved for Dark Lords and their apprentices," Harkun explained. "This is not a promotion, and you are not to speak to anyone except the training master when you are up there, understand? You are not fit for their presence."

"Please tell me Ffon can come," I said, sneering. "We'll have so much fun."

"Ffon has been training at combat his whole life. He was born to be Sith. You are just as likely to chop off your own arm as not, slave," Harkun spat, really loving to put emphasis on that last word. "Now get going to the second floor training grounds. You don't want to keep the instructors waiting."

As I left, I heard the two of them snickering behind me. I smiled, knowing that my combat abilities were much stronger than either of them knew. I made my way up to the second floors, getting looks from every Sith Lord and apprentice I saw. The lack of training blades and abundance of real lightsabers made me a bit uneasy, but I quickly made my way to the training room.

Once inside, I looked around. There were training blades of different sizes and styles along the walls, and a series of training dummies in the corner. The one thing it was missing: an instructor. Confused, I looked around for a spot where they could be. As I grew increasingly nervous, I began to think about what was going to happen. Was this going to be some surprise test?

"Hello there, friend," I heard from the door. "You remember my brother and me from downstairs - with Harkun, right?"

I turned around and saw the twins. Their names were Wydr and Balek, though I never remembered which one was which. They were both tall, similar hair and facial hair. They both stood just inside the doorway, on either side, blocking me in. I had a bad feeling about things before this, and now I was sure of it.

"Sorry it had to be this way," Balek said.

"We don't like it any more than you do," Wydr added. "Well - maybe a little more."

I narrowed my gaze. "What's happening here?"

"I'm sorry man. I liked you. I really did," Balek told me, apparently not the wordsmith in his family.

"But Harkun made us a deal, see," Wydr explained. "We kill you, we go home."

I was stunned. The sheer length that Harkun was going to in order to get me killed was appalling. I was enraged. I vowed right then that I would kill Ffon and Harkun, personally. In my anger, I could feel my head clearing, and my muscles loosening up. I knew exactly what I had to do, and if the Sith Code had any truth behind it, I had the tools to do it.

I looked directly at Wydr. "You will regret that," i said flatly.

"We don't want to," Balek told me. "But we know we can't be Ffon, and we'll never be Sith. At least this way, we can go home - alive."

"Quiet, Balek. The time for talk is past," Wydr said, drawing his blade. "Fight for your life, acolyte."

Balek also drew his blade, as I did. Secretly, I had been itching for a good fight, since I hadn't faced a decent opponent since Spindrall's tomb. The difference was that the acolytes I faced in the tombs weren't in nearly as good shape as these two, and were probably way out of practice. For all I knew, these two were individually as good as I was, meaning I had my work cut out for me.

They charged, and I raised my blade to block. I strafed right and threw my blade up, dodging the attack to my left and blocking the one on my right. Wydr was now between me and Balek, meaning Balek had to step around him to get to me. This allowed me to step back as the brothers coordinated their footwork. I continued to circle as they struck, blocking one blade as I dodged the other. As I circled, they constantly got out of position, allowing me to only face them one on one for a couple seconds at a time.

I did a backhand block as Balek brought his lightsaber down, sending it off to the side as I dodged Wydr's blow and circled left. I took a chance to gain the upper hand. With Wyrd behind Balek, I took an overhand strike at Balek. He blocked, and I stepped around him, extending my hand out. The Force blast hit Wdyr as he tried to get around his brother, and he flew back. He slammed into a training dummy, the force of the impact knocking over weapon racks. The racks landed on top of Wydr, knocking him out.

Without hesitation, I pushed the attack on Balek, still shaken by my assault on his brother. While he was much stronger, I was faster, so I alternated which side I struck. Balek struggled to keep up, and stepped back to try and get some space. He was scared, but he didn't channel his fear the way I channeled my anger. I pressed the assault, waiting for Balek to make a mistake. He did, parrying a forehand strike too wide. I brought my blade up and it cut clean through his wrist.

He screamed and dropped to his knees, clutching his forearm. I slowly walked behind him, keeping my blade pointed at him. Looking over, I saw Wydr emerge from the pile I had buried him under. I could see them staring at each other in silence; Wydr too stunned to speak, Balek too weak. I stood behind Balek, watching them, embracing the power I had. With a sneer, I thrust my blade forward, straight through Balek's back. He let out a small gasp, and I could feel the despair from Wydr as his brother slumped to the ground, dead.

Wydr screamed, grabbing and activating his blade. He used the Force and leapt at me from across the room. I blocked and sidestepped, his blade crashing into the ground. He hit me with a flurry of blows, powerful and fast. As he was much larger and stronger than I was, I had to deflect his blows rather than block them. This was difficult, but I noticed that he had terrible follow-through, causing him to slam his blade into the ground constantly. This gave me an idea.

He set up for an overhand strike, which I deflected and sidestepped. His blade crashed into the ground, and I jumped back. As he turned around, I lifted a weapon rack with the Force and launched it at him. He deflected it with his blade, but I threw another. I hurled every weapon and stand that was lying on the floor, all of them aiming at him. His strength was failing, as multiple hilts and racks hit him as he slowed. His blade was knocked out of his hand, and he dropped to his knees and covered his face.

As the final, crushing blow, I Force lifted his brother's body and threw it at him. They collided, and Wydr fell backwards, his brother landing on top of him. I grabbed Balek's blade off the floor and walked towards them. I saw Wydr look up at me as I activated Balek's blade. I thrust the blade downwards, piercing both of them. Wydr gasped, before mouthing the words "I'm sorry." His eyes rolled back into his head as his head fell backwards.

I deactivated my blade and sheathed it. I stood there for a second, breathing heavily, the adrenaline rush wearing off. I had just killed two acolytes, whose only goal was to go home alive. I had to remind myself that I was not guilty; that honor went to Harkun. He tasked these brothers with killing me to further his own agenda, and that task ended with these two dead. I looked visibly angry as I left the training room and headed back downstairs.

"Well, well, look who shows up at long last," Harkun said as I returned. "I half expected to hear you'd crossed some Dark Lord and finally got yourself killed. None of the others have shown up either. I assume they're dead by now - which means you and Ffon are the last ones."

"So I just kill Ffon and I'm Sith, right?" I asked, still quite angry. "This shouldn't take long."

"Wrong. Your final trial will be to retrieve an ancient map from the innermost chamber of Naga Sadow's tomb - which has not been breached in thousands of years," Harkun explained. "But before you get the map, you'll have to awaken an ancient assassin called a Dashade that sleeps in the tomb. You cannot access the map without him, understand?"

I nodded. "I think I can do that much," I responded.

"Oh - and one more thing. You'll be competing with Ffon for this map. Whoever brings it back will be Lord Zash's apprentice. The other will die." Harkun sneered as he talked. "And Ffon's already started - so my advice? Run, slave. Run."

"Ahem, one moment, please," Lord Zash said, walking into the room.

Harkun's eyes nearly flew out of their sockets. "Lord Zash - what are you doing here?" he asked, panicked.

"Overseer," Zash calmly replied. "Are you implying that I - a Lord of the Sith - don't have the right to go where I please within the Academy of the Sith?"

"No, of course not, Lord Zash," Harkun replied, his face going more red than his lightsaber.

"Good. I saw the last acolyte arrive. I wanted to see the hopefuls off on their final trial." Zash looked around the room. "Where's - um - what's his - the red one, Ffon?"

Harkun's shock level went up immensely, Zash hardly bothering to remember the name of his star pupil. "He finished his trial early, so I sent him on rather than keeping him waiting for this -"

"Pity," Zash interrupted. "I just finished translating the wonderful text this acolyte brought from Tulak Hord's tomb, and it's most illuminating. I don't know that the map can be retrieved without it."

I looked at Harkun with the most malicious smile I have ever done. "Well, well, well. It's a good thing I didn't start running, isn't it, Harkun?" I asked.

"It's too late," Harkun stuttered. "Ffon's already left. You can't just -"

"Give one acolyte an unfair advantage over the other?" Zash interrupted again. "Overseer, when has being Sith ever been about being fair?"

Harkun took a step back, and I suppressed another grin. Looks like his shenanigans had been found out.

"Now, my dear acolyte, here is what you must do to free the Dashade," Zash told me, in a very sweet tone. "There are rods scattered throughout the tomb of Naga Sadow. These rods are the keys to the chamber where the ancient assassin is imprisoned. You will place the rods in the chamber door and electrify them."

I couldn't help but take another look at Harkun, who was visibly panicking. He knew that without this information, it was very likely that his prized student would end up dead, and that I - a slave - would end up victorious.

"I don't know exactly the reason," Zash continued. "But it is clear you will not be able to retrieve the map without the Dashade. But be careful - he is very dangerous."

"I have yet to meet a danger I cannot defeat," I said. I saw Harkun visibly shudder hearing that.

"I will return when both acolytes are back from the tomb." Zash glared at Harkun. "You will not do anything to further affect the outcome of the trial. Understood?"

Harkun swallowed a large lump. "Yes, Lord Zash," he muttered.

"Good - and good luck, acolyte," she said, turning and leaving.

* * *

"Now, one thing that some of you might not know is that killing is allowed within Naga Sadow's tomb," Nox explained. "That means that I could've killed Ffon while looking for the map, or vice versa."

"Did you kill him?" someone asked.

"I didn't try to kill him inside, no," Nox responded. "Not only did I not actually find him, but it wasn't really on my mind. I found it more satisfying to imagine his face as he realizes who won."

"Do you think you could've beaten him in a fight?" someone else asked.

"No," Nox said flatly. "Ffon had teachers preparing him for combat for longer than anyone else in our group. If we had to square off inside that tomb, I would be dead."

Everyone murmured, taking in the fact that a Dark Council member admitted to being weaker than someone.

"As I will explain to you in a bit, improving my bladework would be top priority," Nox continued. "However, there was one more impossible feat I had to pull off first."

* * *

This tomb was like all the others, dark, cold and uninviting. The only difference was the abundance of acolytes. As I said, killing was legal in here, and this ended up being the refuge of the acolytes who failed their trials. They didn't attack me, however. Word must've gotten out about the last assassination attempt on me. These acolytes decided not to test their luck; a wise decision, I must say. I gathered the rods as I made my way through the tomb.

As I got deeper into the tomb, the amount of acolytes got lower. Replacing them were droids, who were not as cautious. Although I managed to sneak around most, I had to cut a few of them down. Turning down one hallway, I ended up in a massive chamber. At the center was who I assumed to be the Dashade, floating in a stasis field. As he was in the middle of a giant pit, I continued along the walkway.

Cutting down more droids as I went, I eventually made it to a room with four altars. Seeing both the door closed and a lack of Ffon, I smiled. I placed the rods on the altars, thinking of Ffon's face when I come back with the map. Lord Zash smiling and praising me, Harkun stuttering and dumbfounded, Ffon laying dead at my feet. The thoughts comforted me as I finished with the altars and went to meditate on the center platform.

I stood, channeling my emotions, letting my hatred give me strength. I heard the sound of electricity, and opened my eyes in time to see a stream of lightning pour out of one of the altars. It hit me, and I writhed in pain. Soon a second, then a third, then all four rods were shooting lightning at me. I dropped to my hands and knees, the pain almost unbearable. This was like nothing I had ever felt, and I was sure that I would die right there.

It was then that I came to my senses. I had survived acolytes and animals and Harkun for this long; I wasn't about to let some sticks end my life. I stood up, every fiber in my body screaming. I faced the door, and thrust my arms forward. Lightning poured out of my body through my hands, and the entire tomb trembled from the impact. I could feel the power coming from the rods flowing through me, and into the door. It flew open and the lightning stopped. I lowered my arms, catching my breath. I was ready for anything.

I approached the stasis field, and got a good look at the Dashade. I had never seen one before, nor had I really read anything about them. He was large, bigger than the twins, and was grey all over. It had an enormous vibrosword attached to its back, which seemed counterintuitive for an assassin. The beast was not unconscious, however. It shifted its gaze to look at me as I approached.

"Ha! All the world conspires to mock me. Ha!" the Dashade said in its strange tongue. I had a universal translator with me so I was able to understand the language. "Tulak Hord! I waited for you. I did everything you said! And this is what you send me?"

I watched the Dashade, unsure of what it's talking about. Sure I knew who Tulak Hord was, but what was this monster's connection to him?

"Ha! Fate is cruel to me, little one. But not as cruel as it is to you," the Dashade told me. "You have made a terrible mistake."

"These were the instructions Zash gave me," I responded. "I am to free you and you will take me to the map in the final chamber of the tomb."

"I am Khem Val, servant of Tulak Hord, who was called Lord of Hate, Master of the Gathering Darkness, Dark Lord of the Sith," the beast said. "Together, Tulak Hord and I devoured our enemies at the battles of Yn and Chabosh and brought the entire Dromund system to its knees. And now I await his return."

"I hate to be the one to break it to you," I told Khem, "but Tulak Hord is dead."

"Dead? My lord, why didn't you come for me?" Khem asked. "I would have died with you - no, I would have slain death itself…"

I didn't pity the Dashade, but I did understand its pain. Losing someone and not knowing for as long as it did couldn't be easy.

"As for you," Khem continued, looking at me, "you should not have come here. For I hunger - and I will devour you!"

The stasis field suddenly started to tremble, and sparks began flying out of the machine. In a flash, small explosions went off, and Khem Val fell, free from the machine. He jumped down from the platform, looking me right in the eyes. He pulled his massive vibrosword off his back, and I grabbed my blade in return. He slowly walked towards me, and I stepped back, holding my blade out. More than ever, I was terrified.

Khem raised his blade to strike, and I deflected it to the side, not willing to directly block a shot that strong. Faster than I expected, he circled his blade around for a second strike, which I deflected and sidestepped. The walkway we stood on was narrow, however, which left little room to move around. As Khem went for a third swing, I had no choice but to block it. The force of the hit sent me stumbling back, nearly knocking the wind out of me.

I could tell that Khem was not at full strength. As we continued to duke it out, I noticed my deflections were tiring him. He was slowing down, his strikes becoming more sloppy. I deflected a backhand strike, and Khem immediately swung his blade up for a downwards smash. I sidestepped right and circled as his blade crashed into the ground. With a swing, I sent my blade into Khem's, knocking it out of his hand and into the chasm below. Panting, I held my blade out to his chest, and he dropped to his knees.

"Ha! Defeated! Defeated!" Khem said, frustrated. "Why did you not come for me, Tulak? Why have you allowed your servant to be reduced to this?"

I sighed and sheathed my blade, confident that the Dashade was subdued.

"Fine little one," Khem continued. "In my great weakness, you have defeated me, so I must serve you - that is the law that binds me. But you are not my master."

"I am your master," I responded, impatiently. "Get used to it."

"As you say, little one," Khem said. "But someday I will regain my strength."

* * *

"Speaking of Khem," Nox mentioned, "how about you show yourself?"

There was a collective gasp as the Dashade appeared from a side room. The students had all read about the Dashades in their studies, but nobody had seen one in real life; they were all presumed dead. Khem's menacing stare seemed lost on them, the crowd in a bewildered state at the sight of the beast.

"You certainly know how to make an entrance," Nox remarked.

"So that's the beast in the tomb?" someone asked.

"I am Khem Val, servant of Darth Nox, heir to Tulak Hord and Kallig, head of the Pyramid of Ancient Knowledge," Khem said. "And I will tear you apart where you stand without a second thought, should Nox command it."

The person who asked the question shrunk down, clearly not willing to speak again.

Nox chuckled. "Alright, enough of that. Let's get back on track."

* * *

Khem grabbed another vibrosword from the machine, and we set off down the tomb. Immediately, we were greeted by a solid rock wall blocking our path. I looked over at Khem, and he nodded at me, walking up to the wall. He took a second, before letting out a roar and slamming the wall with his fist. The wall exploded outwards into the next room, rocks crushing the shyrack within. Khem walked in and I followed, pleased.

We walked over the rubble and dead corpses, making it to the final room. Inside was a Tarentatek that must've been the size of a small building. It was so large that it completely blocked the stairway leading up to the map, which was just behind it. I tried to rack my brain for answers, but one thing was clear: there was no sneaking past this beast.

I went to draw my blade, but felt a hand on my shoulder. "Let me, little one," Khem said, drawing his vibrosword.

He walked in front of the monster, and it screamed. Khem screamed back and charged it. He lept, jumping higher and farther than I thought possible, and plunged his vibrosword into the beast's chest. It howled in pain, thrashing violently. As it thrashed, it ejected Khem's sword and Khem with it, and he went flying into the wall. He somehow landed on his feet despite the impact. Sword still in hand, he rushed the beast again.

Furious, the beast raised its hand to strike. Khem rolled out of the way as the Tarentatek's hand crashed into the ground. With lightning fast reflexes, Khem jumped and threw his sword at the beast's hand. It hit, and the beast howled in pain as the sword pinned its arm to the ground. Khem charged the monster, once again jumping up to it. With the same scream as when he destroyed the wall, he walloped the terror right between the eyes. It tried to fly back, but with its arm still pinned to the ground, it stopped abruptly. The most disgusting sound could be heard as every single ligament in the monster's arm must have been destroyed.

Khem retrieved his sword from the beast's hand, causing the Tarentatek to make a tiny squeal, too weak to do much more. Without hesistation, Khem drove his sword into the beast's neck, silencing it permanently. I could feel the stream of dark Force energy escape from the beast, causing the air to thicken. Khem pulled his sword out of the beast's neck, and turned to me. I cleared my head and nodded, taking the map from the console.

* * *

"My first true fight in a long time," Khem suddenly said, with a sense of pride. "That monster's Force energy was especially satisfying."

One person stood up. "If you were able to best Khem just a few moments prior, where did he get the strength to demolish that beast?" they asked.

"A valid question," Nox responded. "The only conclusion I could make was the sheer amount of dark side energy that Khem was able to consume."

Nox pulled up a quick diagram of the dark side infused Tarentatek. "This monster was almost completely dark Force energy, meaning Khem had a lot to feast on," Nox explained. "As I had very little at the time, it more came down to who had the better bladework. Seeing as Khem had been in that stasis field for centuries, it was no question who was superior."

"You were indeed a strong acolyte," Khem declared. "I am glad you were the one to free me."

"As am I, friend," Nox said. "Now pay attention, this was my favourite part."

* * *

"I'm telling you, Lord Zash wants the impossible," I heard Ffon say as I walked in. "No one is ever going to get that map."

"Nobody except me, you mean," I said in the most passive-aggressive tone I could muster.

"The map. And the Dashade!" Harkun could barely speak he was so flabbergasted. "Get that monster out of here this instant! And give me the map."

"No, it's not possible!" Ffon was equally shocked. "You wretch, you filth - you must have cheated somehow. How did you do it? How did you release the monster?"

"I am not a monster," Khem said, stepping to my side. "I am Khem Val, servant of Tulak Hord, devourer of the rebels at Yn and Chabosh, consumer of the Dromund system. And I am hungry."

Ffon nervously stepped back. "R-right. You - you must have cheated - you must have. You'll pay for this"

"Ffon! Patience," Harkun advised, regaining his composure. "You will have your chance at this whelp - after you personally deliver this map to Lord Zash." In one swift motion, he grabbed the map out of my hand.

I didn't even flinch; secretly, I was hoping he'd do something like that. "Eat them both, Khem," I commanded.

"With pleasure," he responded, reaching for his vibroblade.

"Keep your pet at bay for just a moment, acolyte," I heard Zash say from behind me, walking in. "I would have a word with Ffon."

"Lord Zash?" Ffon asked.

"Yes, Ffon," Zash calmly replied. "Now where's my map?"

Ffon stumbled for a second, before retrieving the map from Harkun's desk. "H-here, Lord Zash. Right here," he declared.

"You found it for me, Ffon?" Zash asked with a delightful tone. "How wonderful."

I stared daggers at Ffon. "You are one dead man," I said.

"Silence!" she commanded. I stepped back, but kept my gaze on Ffon, ready to grab my blade.

"Ffon will tell me what happened, won't you, Ffon?" she asked. "You wouldn't dare lie to me, would you?"

Zash slowly stepped forward, directly towards Ffon. "Because it would be a shame for me to discover that you lied to me. Now one more time - did you bring this map back from Naga Sadow's tomb?"

"I - I - no. No, I didn't. I didn't. I'm sorry. I'm sorry," Ffon muttered, hanging his head.

"Harkun, you fool," Zash exclaimed, turning to him. "In any other group for any other lord, this young man would have torn the other acolytes to shreds. What were you trying to prove? That you could outsmart me? That you knew better than me what kind of person I wanted for an apprentice? You fool."

Harkun could only watch as Lord Zash shot the most powerful stream of Force lightning I had ever seen at Ffon. He writhed in agony as the dark side energy poured into his body, coursing through his veins. Zash lifted him into the air, a very blank expression on her face given the circumstances. She ended her lightning, blasting Ffon backwards. He hit Harkun's table, knocking it backwards as his corpse dropped lifelessly to the ground.

"There's your pet, Harkun. Clean this mess up." Zash turned to me. "Apprentice - meet me in my chambers upstairs," she said.

"As you say," I responded, bowing.

"This is not the end," Harkun spat as Zash left. "Without Lord Zash to save you, you're nothing. I have connections that will hunt you wherever you go."

I threw my dagger stare towards him. "That's big talk for a worm like you," I responded angrily.

"Get out of my sight, slave. Your new master is waiting for you upstairs," Harkun said with his teeth clenched.

I turned and left without another word, glad to be rid of that wretched old man. Once I was a fair distance away from Harkun's room, I allowed myself a moment of satisfaction. Not only had I thwarted him at every trial, but I had watched his pet die at his feet, and acquire a Dashade assassin as an assistant. I vowed to carry this momentum forward, and use it to crush anyone that would stop me, whomever that may be.

"Ah, my magnificent new apprentice," Lord Zash chimed as I walked in. "I believe congratulations are in order."

I bowed. "Thank you for giving me this opportunity," I said.

"You've earned it, my apprentice," Zash replied, putting as much emphasis as Harkun did on 'slave.' "Now, I was just looking over this astonishing map you brought back, and I can tell we have a lot of work ahead of us."

"Murder and mayhem await," I replied, eager to get going.

"Patience, my apprentice. We must go about this with tact. All in good time," she assured me. "You must meet me on Dromund Kaas. There we can talk more."

I nodded. "Dromund Kaas. Got it."

"I will meet you in my chambers in the Citadel in Kaas City," Zash explained. "There we can speak more freely of the work ahead - without the fear of unfriendly ears."

She reached into her desk and produced something. "This is the lightsaber I had as an apprentice. I want you to have it," she said, tossing it to me.

I caught the lightsaber and ignited it. I swung it around a few times, getting a feel for it, reveling in the power. "I shall wreak havoc with it wherever I go," I promised.

"Magnificent. No doubt you will," Zash responded, amused. "Now remember. My chambers. The Citadel. Dromund Kaas. It's imperative that we get to work on this as soon as possible."

I bowed, and Zash exited the room. I lagged behind for a minute, admiring her office. Even though I watched Ffon die right in front of me, it was still hard to believe that Zash had picked me as her apprentice. She had power, and I desired more power. If I could follow Zash, perhaps this was my ticket to true freedom. I thought about this as I left Zash's office.

"Stop right there, slave," someone I learned to be Ortosin said, blocking my path. "Dark Skotia has a message for you."

This Ortosin was slightly taller, with dark skin. His voice was slimey, and made my skin crawl. "Who is this Darth Skotia?" I asked.

"Darth Skotia is Lord Zash's superior and your worst nightmare," Ortosin responded, sneering. "The message is this: You will not go to Dromund Kaas."

Two acolytes appeared from around the corner, standing behind Ortosin. "Everything you've done here, everyone you dealt with - Lord Zash included - is insignificant," he explained. "Dark Skotia has eyes and ears on Korriban. He knows what your master is up to, and he is displeased to say the least."

I stared directly at Ortosin, seeing Khem in my peripheral vision and relaxing a bit.

"On Korriban, Lord Zash may have her way. But on Dromund Kaas, it's a different story. So you see, you have to die," Ortosin declared.

"Khem, what is it you do to Force users again?" I asked, not breaking eye contact.

"I consume them and spit out their bones," Khem responded, drawing his vibrosword.

One of the acolytes stepped back in fear. "Um, Ortosin - is that a Dashade?" he asked. "Maybe this isn't such a good idea."

"Coward!" he exclaimed. He drew his lightsaber and ignited it. "Fight, you fool!"

I ignited my own lightsaber just in time to block a strike. I stepped back into Zash's office, and Ortosin followed me. As the two acolytes followed us, Khem intercepted them, allowing me to fight Ortosin on my own. To any spectator, this would be a truly entertaining spectacle. Two acolytes squaring off against a Dashade, while two apprentices dueled on the other side. Not your average Sith rivalry.

I danced around with Ortosin, deflecting his strikes as I took my own. We both had very similar styles, in the sense that we'd deflect strikes wide so we could circle around for an attack. This left our blades spinning in large arcs, yet always meeting in the middle. I tried to use footwork to create an angle, but Ortosin seemed to step perfectly, as if he knew where I was moving. Did he watch my fight with Wydr and Balek?

I heard a scream from in the room, and knew that Khem had felled one of the other acolytes. I also saw Ortosin's expression change in response, and took a chance. Deflecting an attack left, I threw my right fist forward. Faster than I could see, Ortosin raised his hand and caught my fist. I froze, stunned at his reflexes. He sneered as he released my hand, Force pushing me backwards. I flew through the air and hit the wall.

As I hit, I thought I heard another scream from the other acolyte. Clearly that wasn't the most prominent thought rushing through my head as I slid down the wall. I slowly stood up, Ortosin walking towards me. I saw my lightsaber and Force pulled it towards me. In a flash, I saw a red arc cut clean through it, and the lightsaber halves fell to the ground. I saw Ortosin with a malicious grin, raising his lightsaber to strike. I closed my eyes and braced myself.

There was a clash, the sound of the lightsaber hitting something. I opened my eyes to see a stunned Ortosin, his strike blocked by Khem's vibrosword. Khem moved to punch Ortosin, and his strike was not blocked, his fist slamming into Ortosin's face. Ortosin stumbled back, and Khem spun around, throwing a backhand slash that cut through Ortosin's neck. His head flew backwards, as his decapitated body fell to the floor.

Khem gave me a disapproving look, sheathing his blade and walking towards the exit. Breathing heavily, I straightened myself, disappointed with my failure. I took the lightsaber out of Ortosin's dead hand, mine being put out of service in the fight. Taking one of the acolyte's blades, I skewered Ortosin's head and stuck it to his body, leaving this by the entrance as a warning. Leaving the Academy, Khem and I said nothing to each other as we boarded a shuttle to the Imperial Fleet.

* * *

"As you can see, overconfidence is the downfall of many Sith," Nox explained. "I had spent my trials hacking apart exiled acolytes, tomb beasts, and a half-paralyzed assassin. Facing a real Sith in combat was my wake up call."

"So who was Skotia?" someone asked.

"Darth Skotia was someone I'll talk about again in a little bit," Nox answered. "Until then, we're going to be changing locations. Go out to the shuttles and we'll depart for the Imperial Fleet right away."

Everyone stood and bowed, funneling out of the room. Nox watched them all leave, his crew staying behind.

"Andronikos, Talos, take the ship to Dromund Kaas," Nox instructed. "Ashara, Xalek, pack things up here and tell whoever's waiting that they're allowed to use the room. Khem, with me." Everyone nodded as they went about their business.

 _Alright then,_ Nox thought, _let's continue this walk down memory lane._


	2. Chapter 2

While I do plan on updating more than once a month, this month was rather hectic. Hopefully my schedule is more forgiving for a bit, so I can push out another update faster. Until then, hopefully you enjoy reading this.

* * *

The Imperial Fleet was the hub of activity in its area of the galaxy. Be it Bounty Hunters searching out a contract, Sith Lords stopping in between missions, or merchants trying to get something started off-planet, everyone had a place on the Fleet. It was here that a young Darth could be found leading a group of children, showing them the paths he travelled some time ago. Tasked with the job of spreading knowledge, Darth Nox preferred a more direct approach.

"This way," Nox instructed the students, turning down one path.

This area of the fleet was reserved for armaments and combat training. Vendors sold armor and weapons, while various other sections were partitioned off for sparring. The children looked around in wonder, this being their first time on the Fleet. Two Sith clashed in one area, the buzzing and clashing of their lightsabers making for a truly captivating sight. Nox lead them down the path before stopping inside one of the cubicles.

"Lord Twintan," Nox said with a nod, addressing the person inside.

"Darth Nox," Twintan replied, bowing. "To what do I owe the pleasure, my lord?"

"I was giving a lecture on my ascendance to power to these apprentices," Nox explained, gesturing towards the crowd of young Sith. "I decided it would be a good idea to introduce them to you."

Lord Twintan was a pureblooded Sith, with very bold red skin. His eyes were yellow like other Sith, but quite awake and active. He was one of the trainers on the Fleet, specializing in the integration of Force techniques with lightsaber combat. This was a tough technique to fully appreciate, so Lord Twintan had few students, thus being one of the less popular trainers. It would explain why none of the students recognized him.

Twintan smiled. "You were truly an exceptional student," he told Nox. He turned towards the group. "Darth Nox was my first student in quite some time, and was more powerful than any student I've ever taught, before and since. I'm not surprised he found his way onto the Dark Council."

"It was Lord Twintan who advised me to get a double-bladed lightsaber," Nox added, taking his lightsaber from his belt. "That was the best advice anyone had ever given me."

* * *

I had been wandering around the fleet for some time, not sure what to do. I knew that there was a training area, but none of the teachers seemed to have appealing styles. There was a very powerful lightsaber combat instructor, but it seemed as if most of his students were using acrobatics and feats of strength in their combat. Some of them were even dual-wielding. I found another, but they appeared to specialize in raw Force abilities. While these would be great for taking out enemies in large areas, most of my ambushes had been in confined rooms. I needed some middle ground if I wanted this to work.

"You lost?" someone behind me asked.

I looked behind me and saw a pureblooded Sith Lord standing there. "No, my Lord. Forgive me," I said.

He smiled. "You've been staring at the lightsaber instructors for some time. Need to train a bit more?"

I nodded. "I recently passed my trials, but my Master seems to have some very powerful enemies," I explained to him. "Just before leaving, I was ambushed in her office and barely made it out alive."

"So are you looking to survive attacks?" he asked. "Or is there something more?"

I looked up at him. "I want power," I responded. "I want to be able to take on as many people as possible and still press the attack. I want people to know that trying to kill me is the last mistake they will ever make."

The Lord smiled again, then nodded. "I have just what you're looking for."

We returned to his area, which was currently unpopulated. Turns out he was a teacher of one of the most difficult techniques out there: double-bladed lightsabers. He gave me a training version and told me to use it on the dummy. I could see why nobody else was here; this was the weirdest thing I had tried to fight with. I spent a good portion of time fumbling around with it and lightly tapping the dummy before almost dropping the damn thing.

However, things slowly came together. As I progressed, I started naturally feeling some combinations appearing, allowing me to move from strike to strike in quick succession. I struck the dummy, spinning the saber and re-positioning my footwork before striking again. I repeated this process through many different forms, amazed at how quickly this was all coming together. It felt almost like dancing, the blade spinning around rapidly as I stepped and strafed. This was a feeling of certainty that I had not felt using the single bladed sabers back on Korriban.

"You're doing quite well," the instructor, Lord Twintan, told me. "What do you think?"

I deactivated the blade, holding it at my side. "It feels amazing," I said. "Fast, wide, and potent."

"Be mindful that you don't cut your own arm off with it," Twintan advised, chuckling.

"I'll be careful," I responded, not sure if I should join in on the laughing.

"You are truly my best student in recent memory," the instructor added. "As your reward, I shall help you construct your own lightsaber."

I nodded, and he took me to a table at the back of the room. There were three other tables near it, with different hilts, crystals, and various lightsaber components. The hilts looked different that conventional ones, due to them being made for double-bladed lightsabers. I gazed at the large mass of pieces, anxious to begin. I reached out to grab one, but was stopped by Twintan.

"Not like this," he said. "The Force must construct your weapon."

I nodded, sitting down in front of the central desk. I closed my eyes, and began to channel the Force. Various thoughts rushed through my head. I thought about my desire to prove myself to Lord Zash, and in turn to gain more power. I thought about taking that power and crushing Darth Skotia. That kill would gain me more favour with Zash, and the cycle repeats. I could faintly hear the lightsaber coming together but it was not my main concern. I pictured piles of Jedi and Sith corpses at my feet, me standing above them, possessing all the power in the world.

"It is done," Twintan announced.

I opened my eyes, and saw the completed lightsaber in front of me. It was grey, with small red attachments surrounding the ends. The crystal was visible, a darker red than the ones I had previously seen. It was encased in a small slot, protected by thin strands of metal. I stood up, held the blade out and ignited it. The center of the blade was black, with the familiar red outline of other Sith lightsabers. (for those of you who play SWTOR, think of the Vindicator's Saberstaff with a Black-Red crystal)

"Now that's a colour I haven't seen in a long time," Twintan said, staring at my blade.

I deactivated the weapon. "What does it mean?" I asked, clipping the weapon on my belt.

"It means you still have the same Force power and energy as other Sith," he explained, "but your rage is more focused. You wish to gain more power, but you have another goal."

I nodded. "I was a slave before I became Sith. I want to use my power to truly become free."

Twintan smiled. "I sense you will become powerful," he told me. "Now go, and use that blade to carve up some sorry whelps."

I nodded once again, and promptly left the room.

* * *

"And now you're back," Twintan said, smiling. "Just as powerful as I had imagined."

Nox nodded. "You provided me with the most powerful weapon I have ever wielded, and the confidence to do so with skill," he explained. "I am forever grateful."

Twintan nodded. He turned to face the group. "Listen to this man, for he has seen and done incredible things. Am I clear?"

"Yes, my Lord," the group said in unison.

"Excellent," Twintan said, pleased. "Alright my Lord, I wish you safe travels during the rest of your lecture."

"Much appreciated, Lord Twintan." Nox gestured down the hallway. "Come, we're off to Dromund Kaas."

* * *

The shuttle ride was fairly uneventful. Zash's name allowed me to get private transport for myself and Khem, so I spent most of the trip alone. I practiced a bit with my saberstaff, getting a feel for the double blades. It felt marvelous to spin around, to strike with both ends in multiple directions. That weapon made me feel like the most powerful person in the world, and I might have to be if I wanted to take on Darth Skotia.

The shuttle landed, and I got off, Khem following close behind. We had landed in the spaceport, where many other shuttles had parked. I made my way down the giant hangar, Imperial guards and citizens everywhere. As Dromund Kaas was the capital city of the Empire, it was no wonder that the spaceport was this crowded. I walked over to the Arrivals Console, to begin booking my flight down to the planet.

"My master! Isn't this soft-skinned one the toy of Zash, the golden-haired Lord?" I heard a Trandoshan say.

I looked up and saw who could only be Darth Skotia. He was a massive cyborg, with implants covering the majority of his face, including his right eye. He was almost the same size as Khem, probably due to the mechanical add-ons. He had two Trandoshans behind him, sneering at me. These were clearly his underlings. I stepped away from the console as Skotia and his entourage approached.

"Quiet, bodyguard. Save your hissing for your own kind," Skotia barked at the Trandoshan. The bodyguard took a step back, and bowed his head.

"As for you, slave," he said, turning back to me. "Darth Skotia is passing - best get out of his way."

"You sent that weakling apprentice to kill me," I told him, not budging. I could feel Khem's stare on the back of my neck, but I knew he would side with me.

"It looks like I didn't try hard enough. I won't make the same mistake twice," Skotia said, no longer trying to walk past me. "Give your master a message for me: my eye is on her, and I know. Tell her that. I know what she's trying to do here on Dromund Kaas."

I swallowed, getting somewhat nervous but holding my ground.

"You and her master have gotten this far - but it ends here, slave. I alone have the key." Skotia took a short pause. "Tell her that."

Skotia was the first person to call me slave since Harkun, which only helped to strengthen my resolve. My nervousness faded, replaced by anger. I furrowed my brow as I stared at him.

"You and your master have no future on Dromund Kaas or in the Sith Order," he continued. "Tell her that. Now, get out of my way."

"What do you think? Can you eat him?" I asked, turning to Khem.

"Is more machine than man, I think," Khem admitted. "Bad for the digestion."

"Ha! Fools," Skotia spat, walking past me. I stepped out of the way to let him pass, which didn't stop on of his bodyguards from bumping me with his shoulder as he walked.

I turned towards the elevator and left, not willing to deal with more of that garbage. My mission was to assist Lord Zash with her research, and I trusted that she would give me the power to crush that cyborg freak. I kept that in mind as I boarded the elevator to the main lobby.

* * *

"I never ended up learning why Skotia hated Zash so much," Nox admitted. "I do know that she wasn't really liked throughout the Order, so I'm not that surprised, but I never figured out the exact reason."

"Why did people not like Zash?" someone asked as they exited the shuttle, the group walking towards the planet's surface.

"I'll explain in a moment," Nox assured them. "Come, let me show you Dromund Kaas as I saw it."

The group moved towards the exit, murmuring with excitement.

* * *

I exited the building, finding myself on the surface of our homeworld. Dromund Kaas was dark, like I expected the Empire to be. Surprisingly, it looked to be full of wildlife, with various trees growing and animals roaming around. The air was thick, with the unmistakable feel of dark Force energy everywhere. This didn't bother me; I had to embrace the dark side if I wanted to succeed. I smiled, walking further out into the wilds.

Khem and I passed through the wilds undisturbed, the animals clearly used to people passing by. As I walked past many Imperial guards, they kept bowing and calling me "Lord." It was strange having that sort of recognition simply because of my lightsaber. I walked on, paying it little attention. Dark Skotia - and pretty much every enemy I'd ever face, presumably - wouldn't care about my title, so I didn't give it much thought.

I soon made it to Kaas City, which looked like an Imperial building without walls. It was grey everywhere, with the Imperial flag posted so frequently that you couldn't turn a corner without seeing another. I kept walking, Dashade in tow, silently commanding respect from everyone I passed. I boarded a taxi and, with Zash's name, traveled to the Sith Sanctum.

It was nice to see the massive structure dedicated to the Sith. The giant building was a fitting testament to the power of the Sith, which was completely filling my thoughts as I walked inside. I passed through the giant building, seeing Apprentices and Darths alike. Unlike outside, in here I was but another Sith, doing everything I could to claw my way to the top. I vowed that I would be at the very top, a thought that stuck with me as I entered Zash's chambers.

"Are you acquainted with a big, ugly, half-machine Dark Lord?" I asked, walking into Zash's main office. "He had a message for you."

"Damn Skotia!" Zash seethed, standing up. "What business has he, going behind my back, speaking to my apprentice? Trying to intimidate you, do doubt."

Zash walked in front of her desk, a fire in her eyes that could only mean she had a wicked plan ready.

"Wretched monster. More machine than man and dangerously powerful," she continued. "Ever since I arrived on Dromund Kaas as an apprentice, he's made every effort to stand in my way."

"He is flesh," Khem spoke up. "He can be killed."

Zash nodded, with a hint of a smile forming. "Ultimately, we cannot even begin the search for Tulak Hord's ancient power with Skotia's rattling breath on our necks," she declared.

"There must be something we can do," I said, knowing that Zash already had a plan.

"Yes, yes. There is something we can do - or rather, something you can do." Zash paused, drawing a breath. "You are going to kill Skotia for me."

I smiled. "Finally, a challenge worthy of me."

"Good. That's precisely the attitude you'll need," Zash responded, sounding very pleased. "I cannot be tied to Skotia's murder. Brazen power plays make the Dark Council nervous. But nobody will believe that a mere apprentice could defeat Skotia. It's impossible, and that's why it will work."

I nodded, understanding her reasoning. "The impossible's my specialty," I boasted, referring to the holocron and Khem.

Zash nodded. "So it seems."

I pictured how I would kill Skotia. His lightsaber would've already been cut in half, how his apprentice did it to mine. He kneels on the ground, begging for mercy. He raises his arm up to shield his face, and I send my blade through his arm, slicing it in two at the elbow. He howls in pain, but only for a brief second as my blade travels through his neck, dislodging his head from his body. I leave his head on his desk as I exit, my work complete. What a beautiful thought indeed.

"I've begun to piece together the puzzle for Darth Skotia's destruction - but some elements have yet to fall into place," Zash explained. "Out in the jungle, a group of slaves has recently revolted. They were working on a colossal statue that has since gone unfinished. I believe Skotia is hiding something of great importance near this statue. Get the archaeological plans to the area from one of the slaves and contact me by holocommunicator."

Khem suddenly spoke up. "This witch stinks of death," he said. "Give me the command and I will devour her."

I stepped in between them, Zash giving an amused smile. I gestured towards the door, and we left without another word.

* * *

"This is the Colossus," Nox explained, referencing the massive statue the group was standing near. "Originally ordered to be built by Lord Qet, the statue is of his master, Darth Vowrawn. He brought in offworld slaves to construct the statue, but the slaves ended up rebelling. Although said rebellion has since been quashed, it still proved to be quite a painful predicament."

"Who was Lord Qet?" someone asked.

"The reason you don't know Lord Qet and the reason why he ordered this statue built are probably connected," Nox responded. "This apprentice clearly was incapable of satisfying his master through conventional means, so he resorted to this."

"Wouldn't you be pleased if your apprentice built you a monument?" another person asked.

"It's not the monument that puts me off, it's the use of slaves," Nox admitted. "Seeing as the slave rebellion was not instantly dealt with, it gave the slaves a sense of freedom. Get too many of those and suddenly you have more of me running the Order."

There was a laugh amongst the group, which Nox quickly silenced. "Alright, this way. There's still much to tell about this place."

* * *

I passed by many Imperial soldiers, many of whom told me of the dangers within the Colossus slave grounds. I ignored them and kept walking, not worried about slaves at all. Upon entering the grounds, I saw the total carnage, slaves and Imperials tearing each other apart. I looked over, and saw a group of three without an Imperial to kill. They turned to me, and two of them grabbed blasters, firing at me.

In one motion, I pulled out and ignited one of my lightsaber blades. I deflected the shots, and they went sailing into a cliff face, dislodging some rocks. With reflexes faster than anyone anticipated, I extended my arm and Force pushed them into the path of the rocks. As the falling debris crushed the two of them, a third ran at me with a vibrosword drawn. I ignited my other blade as he slashed downwards. I deflected his attack with one blade, sidestepping and sending my other through his arm. Before he could scream, I circled around and sliced across his back.

I turned off my lightsaber, replacing it on my belt before inspecting the corpse. I found a fragment of the plans I was looking for. Looking up, I noticed another group of slaves standing there, more cautious than the last. I held up the shard, and they quickly threw a couple more on the ground, before turning and running. I smiled, knowing I had sent a message: do not make the Empire send the Sith after you.

I pulled out my holocommunicator, prepared to present the good news to Zash.

"Does this mean you found them?" Zash asked, turning on her holocommunicator. "You've found the archaeological plans?"

"Of course, my master," I responded, satisfied with my recovery efforts.

"Fantastic," Zash beamed. "I never doubted you."

I could feel Khem glaring behind me, but I paid it no mind. It was obvious that he didn't like Zash, but his opinions didn't really concern me.

"Now let me see… ah yes. How clever - there's a chamber hidden under the colossus itself!" Lord Zash exclaimed. "I'd bet my complete collection of Naga Sadow's Yavin Four writings that you'll find what we're looking for in this chamber."

I nodded. "Tell me how to access this chamber," I said, anxious to get going.

"There should be a hidden entrance near the colossus," Zash explained. "It looks like Skotia has an entire underground base. You're looking for a tablet."

Zash put up a picture of a Trandoshan, alongside a small tablet with illegible writing etched on to it.

"The tablet is the symbol of leadership of an obscure Trandoshan cult - the lizards believe it was a gift from their deity, the Scorekeeper," Zash explained. "Skotia stole the tablet and uses it to exert control over his Trandoshan bodyguards. Give them their relic, and Skotia's power over his bodyguards will turn to vapour."

I smiled. "We'll leave Skotia undefended," I surmised, understanding the connection.

"Exactly. You have a sharp mind, apprentice," Zash praised, smiling back. "The plans suggest Skotia's apprentices guard this base. I don't doubt they hold the keys to acquiring the Trandoshan tablet. Best kill them all to be sure."

"Command me and I will eat them," Khem growled.

I nodded, ending the call. Zash had sent me coordinates, so Khem and I made our way over there. I had to cut down a few more slaves, but after a bit they realized that I wasn't there for them, and they let me pass. Near the base of the Colossus, there was a small opening that we would've missed had we not been looking for it. I could see some Imperial walls just inside, so Khem and I ventured inside.

Zash was almost right about the security. Skotia's apprentices did guard the bunker, but also other low ranking Sith, as well as countless droids. Looking around, I spotted the Security Station on a platform above. I knew that if I disabled that, I could prevent reinforcements from coming in case something went wrong. I was able to sneak past everyone leading up to the station, but found one of Skotia's apprentices guarding it.

He saw me, then turned to use the Security Station. I blasted a shot of Force Lightning at the machine, and it sparked, temporarily disabled. The apprentice scowled, drawing and igniting his lightsaber as he turned to me. He ran at me as I drew my own. I held up my lightsaber to block a slash, but the apprentice pulled out a second lightsaber. Igniting it, he brought it down at a different angle. I sidestepped, adjusting the angle of my lightsaber so I could block both. I circled and shoved, launching him off my lightsaber.

It was quite clear that his defense was poor. As I spun my saberstaff around, it was quite clear that he could not keep up, even with a second lightsaber. One upwards slash went unblocked, swiping right through his midsection. I circled, delivering a sideways slash across his chest. He flew backwards, and hit the floor, dead. I quickly deactivated my lightsaber and disabled the Security Station, moving back downstairs.

I moved further into the bunker, and noticed there were certain rooms branching off to the sides. Inside each seemed to be a monitoring station, with various screens showing cameras set up around the planet. I dispatched the guards inside each room, along with the stations. With each kill, each explosion, I could feel my power growing, knowing full well that I still had to recover the tablet.

I made it into the room where the tablet was being kept. It was being guarded by a single Sith, who drew his lightsaber as we approached. His blade was purple, which was something I hadn't seen before. I looked at Khem, who nodded before drawing his vibrosword. He charged the Sith, who looked visibly shaken by the sight of a Dashade. I walked past them, hearing the sound of lightsaber colliding against vibrosword behind me. I picked up the tablet, hearing the scream that confirmed Khem's victory.

* * *

"The more I think about it," Nox mentioned, "the more I wonder why this room is so big."

Khem laughed. "Puny Sith really loved the magic stone," he joked.

"I can venture a guess as to why Skotia stored such a large object in this room," Nox said. "Like me, he was very power hungry, and this tablet solidified his influence over the Trandoshans. It was clear this was meant to be a temple of some sort."

"If Skotia was so powerful, why did he need bodyguards?" someone asked.

"He loved power, no matter who it was over," Nox explained. "Power over people was something Skotia desired, and having power over Skotia was key to me defeating him."

* * *

I stared intently at the tablet as I worked my way back to Zash's office. This small, insignificant stone was the only thing keeping Skotia's bodyguards with him. It almost seemed too easy, tearing down Skotia's primary defense without really breaking a sweat. I decided that Lord Zash knew what she was talking about, so it was in my best interests to continue following her. I felt more confident that I was making the right decision, carrying that confidence with the tablet into Zash's office.

"I've recovered the Trandoshan relic," I declared, setting it down on Zash's desk.

"Then we've both had success in our endeavors," Zash said. "But the Trandoshan bodyguards are only part of Skotia's defense. His greatest weakness is that he's mostly machine."

I nodded, the thought of Skotia's cybernetic body still fresh in my mind.

"The rogue Sith Lord Grathan is holding a cyborg expert named Dorotsech captive," Zash explained. "He has developed a neutralizer for me, the kind that should destroy Skotia's cyborg elements. Find Dorotsech, get him to tell you where the neutralizer is and then silence him."

I smiled, understanding what she meant. "Of course, my master," I responded, eager to get to work.

"Grathan's estate is in the jungle - interrogate the scientist," Zash instructed. "With any luck, Skotia will soon be out of our way. And then we'll be free to pursue Tulak Hord's power as we please."

"Ha. The power of Tulak Hord in the hands of a child," Khem muttered dejectedly. "What a mockery."

* * *

"In case it wasn't made clear, Khem was not a fan of Zash, or me for that matter," Nox pointed out. "However, his amazing combat abilities were no doubt a large reason why I'm able to give this presentation."

"That witch smelled of death," Khem repeated. "I do not regret my comments."

"Yes, I understand." Nox beckoned towards the giant array of buildings. "Now, here we are at Lord Grathan's estate."

The area was truly massive. There were buildings and bunkers and warehouses that seemed to go on for miles. The children walked around, Nox guiding them through various buildings and making notes. There were deactivated or destroyed droids everywhere, and the children even managed to find a few corpses. It was truly a strange place to walk through.

"Lord Grathan radically declared himself the 13th member of the Dark Council," Nox explained. "After receiving no support, he left the order and took his apprentices here. He captured scientists and forced them to work on his droid and cyborg army. The man was a borderline lunatic, but his powerbase was astonishingly powerful."

Nox sighed, approaching the front of a memorable building. "This room, more specifically the man within, provided me with the crucial tool I needed to survive Skotia."

* * *

I entered the building, a one-room shack. The usual Imperial banners decorated the walls, which was ironic given Grathan's disposition towards the Empire. There were computers and lab equipment everywhere, and seeing as I knew almost nothing about them, I left them alone. There was a sealed door at the back of the room, which I hoped contained my scientist. I walked over and pressed the button on the panel, opening the door.

Sitting in the middle of the room, on a mat, was Dorotsech. Although he barely looked 40, his head had gone bald and his brow looked permanently furrowed. His head was in his hands, and he muttered to himself nervously. It was quite clear that this man was Grathan's prisoner, and clearly not a fan of his accommodations. It almost felt merciful that Zash had given me orders to "silence him." I cleared my throat, getting Dorotsech's attention.

"Please tell me Lord Zash sent you. Please," Dorotsech begged. "I can't stand it here any longer. I don't want to die!"

I sneered at him. "I understand you've created a device that can harm cyborgs. Give it to me."

"The device? Oh,you mean the neutralizer, the cyber neutralizer," the scientist said, gathering himself. "My finest work yet - though I don't quite see what the use of it is."

"Why, to fell a Darth, my anxious friend," I responded, allowing myself an evil smile.

"But that's just what I'm saying - I don't know how useful it actually is," Dorotsech admitted. "Lord Zash commissioned this weapon against cyborgs - thing is, most cyborgs are only ten percent machine. You'd need someone at least fifty percent machine for the neutralizer to do any real damage."

"Oh, my mark's fifty percent machine," I said, looking at Khem. He nodded. "At least."

"I don't want to know! I don't want to know," Dorotsech muttered. "If you want it, take it. It's only a prototype, but I guess it'll work if there's one droid you really want to bash." He paused, before gulping loudly. "It's in the lab building, can't be missed. But Grathan wouldn't let me at the power cells I needed to power it. You'll need to steal those off his droids."

I quickly put the pieces together. I steal power cells off Grathan's droids, before stealing the cyber neutralizer. Once Grathan notices, he traces it back to Dorotsech, who could potentially give up the info about me. If he were in leagues with Skotia - which was somewhat plausible seeing Grathan's interest in droids - then suddenly our plan is exposed. I knew what I had to do.

I cracked my knuckles. "Looks like it's your turn to die now," I said flatly.

"No! Please! Lord Zash said she'd free me!" Dorotsech dropped to his knees and begged.

I used the Force to shut the door, severing Dorotsech's screams from the outside world. I turned back to him, on his knees and shielding his face. Extending my arm, I shot a small jolt of lightning at him. It connected, and he reeled, screaming at the pain. In one motion, I grabbed my lightsaber, ignited it, and slashed across his exposed chest. His screams were instantly deafened, and he was dead before he hit the ground. Expressionless, I deactivated my weapon and returned it to my belt, leaving the room.

Once outside the room, I took in my surroundings. There were droids everywhere, which would make recovering power cells rather easy. In addition, there were Sith roaming the area; presumably Grathan's apprentices' apprentices. The buildings, cliff faces and bushes made for plenty of cover, so Khem and I went about the task strategically. I hid in a bush or behind a building, while Khem rushed them from the front. Once their attention was on him, I could quickly dispatch the droids, and any remaining Sith were flanked and outmatched. We were quickly becoming quite the team.

I wasn't sure how many we needed, so I recovered a handful and shoved them in my pouch. Carefully hiding the bodies behind some bushes, we advanced towards the main bunker. The guards were rather lazy, so we were able to sneak past the majority of them. The ones that we couldn't, Khem was able to get in close enough to dispatch them quietly, allowing us to make a clean entrance. The whole time, I couldn't help but marvel at Grathan's incredibly large powerbase. Despite being a lunatic, the man certainly had influence.

Inside the bunker, we arrived at the entrance of a large room. There were computers and tech experts everywhere, clearly researching something or other. At the center of the room, there was an energy shield protecting a small device of some sort. Suspecting that was the neutralizer we were here for, I cautiously snuck by the scientists, towards the device. Looking around to make sure nobody spotted us, I deactivated the machine.

Alarms started going off, lights flashed. The scientists all screamed, panicked, and ran out the door I came in. Another door off to the side opened up, and three battle droids came rushing in. Nodding at Khem, he charged them, vibrosword in hand. I extended both arms, shooting two streams of lightning by either side of Khem, into the first two droids. He jumped, sailing over top of the first droids, bringing his vibrosword down through the third as he landed. I brought my hands together and the two droids slammed into each other, exploding violently.

I returned to the machine and grabbed the device. It looked simple enough to use; point the antenna at the other guy, then poof, no more cyborg. I put the power cells into the device as we left, throwing the excess cells onto the floor behind me. Just outside, I heard the scientists inside a storage room off to the side. I didn't bother with them, seeing as they weren't my problem. I smiled, relishing this power I had over life and death, and promptly exited the building.

Upon arriving at the Sith Sanctum, I found myself getting somewhat nervous. This entire adventure had all led up to me, in this building, killing Darth Skotia. When Zash first presented this idea to me, I was excited, thrilled at the chance to take down that freak machine. Now, it was starting to make me a bit uncomfortable. I was barely able to survive his apprentice on Korriban, yet Zash expected me to take him on personally. Even with the tools at my disposal, I was quite unsure.

"Not a moment too soon, apprentice," Lord Zash greeted as I entered her office. "Tell me we were successful. Tell me you have the tech we need to destroy Skotia."

I retrieved the device from my pouch, holding it out. "It's time to kill Skotia," I declared, less out of confidence and more knowing that it had to be done.

"Fantastic. Magnificent. Perfect." Zash marveled over the device like a young child. "Then the time to do the deed is now."

I rolled my shoulders, preparing myself mentally. Behind me, I heard Khem crack his knuckles.

"Skotia is in his chamber as we speak. Be ready," Zash warned. "Even with the power you have over him, he will be a frightful sight."

"The little Sith and I will feast," Khem said. I could practically feel the hatred he was generating.

"Set your nerves of cortosis; turn your fear into hatred," Zash instructed. "Remember - Skotia stands between us and glory."

Her words inspired a sudden confidence. "I feel as though I've lived my whole life for this moment," I said.

"Good," Zash responded with a smile. "Now listen closely - this is how you will kill Skotia."

I already knew the plan, however it was worth listening to again.

"The relic you found under the colossus is the key to Skotia's power over his Trandoshan bodyguards. Go to Skotia's chambers and show them the relic," she explained. "The Trandoshans should stand down, or attack him, or something - the confusion should be enough. This is the first step."

I grabbed the cyber neutralizer. "Then I use the anti-cyborg tech to disable him, right?" I asked.

"Exactly. With the bodyguards gone, you can get close enough to Skotia to use the prototype you stole from Grathan's," Zash confirmed. "But be mindful - Skotia may be more machine than man, but he's no weakling in the Force. Killing him will still be a challenge."

That small speck of doubt appeared again. I tried to push it aside, but it stayed. "Do you really think I'm ready for this?" I reluctantly asked.

"Of course," Zash answered, somewhat surprised. "You ravaged four tombs on Korriban and tamed a Dashade - what's a crippled Dark Lord to you?"

I allowed myself to relax somewhat, knowing that Zash had complete confidence in my abilities.

"Oh, I wish I could be there to see the contortions on Skotia's malformed face when you destroy him," she added. "Now if you'll excuse me, I'm due to make an appearance at a party in the Nexus Room Cantina. Meet me there when you're done."

I bowed as she exited, walking briskly out. I took a second to grab the tablet and device, making sure they were both securely in my pouch. I also took a second and grabbed my lightsaber. Studying the hilt that I personally built, I paused to consider everything. Either I kill Skotia, and Zash leads me to greatness, or I die here, and Zash gets pinned for the attempted assassination of Skotia. My feelings didn't matter, for there was one thing I was sure of: I was not dying today.

I thought about Skotia's apprentice, Ortosin, who nearly had me killed before leaving Korriban. I thought about how, after the fight had concluded, I stuck a training blade through his head and stuck it to his corpse. I thought about how Skotia had intercepted me at the spaceport, and how his bodyguard had ever-so-noticeably bumped me as it walked past. I pictured their faces, their cries, as I stood over them, victorious. I smiled, knowing what I had to do.

Striding out of the office, Khem in tow, I sped towards Skotia's office. It was off to the side, just past a small hallway, very secluded. Two guard stood in front of the office, both pointing their blasters at me when I rounded the corner. With a surge of power, I swept my hand to the side, causing one guard to fly into the other. I continued walking as they collapsed into a crumpled heap. I entered Skotia's office, where the cyborg freak was talking to his bodyguards.

"My master," one of the guards, Skeesk, said. "The soft-skinned one, the toy of Zash approaches."

"I see," Skotia responded flatly.

"What would you have us do, my master?" Skeesk asked.

"Nothing, yet," Skotia ordered. He turned his attention to me. "What makes this slave so bold as to enter my chambers? Tell me, slave, are you insane or do you have a death wish?"

"I've been asked to kill you," I said, noting that he called me slave. "I hate to disappoint."

Skotia simply chuckled. "Heh. Skeesk?"

The bodyguard turned around. "Yes, my master."

"Kill him," Skotia commanded, pointing at me.

"It will be our pleasure, my master," Skeesk responded, nodding to his brother Skarsk. They both drew their blades.

I smiled, pulling the tablet out of my pouch. "I'm your master now," I said, holding it up to them.

Both Skeesk and Skarsk halted when they saw the tablet, lowering their weapons. "The tablet! It has the tablet!" Skeesk exclaimed, clearly confused.

"Skeesk, my brother, what should we do?" Skarsk asked.

"It has the tablet," Skeesk responded. "We must obey." Both of the Trandoshans bowed before me.

"Heh. Clever. Zash must have stayed up many a night to think of that one," Skotia said. "I suppose you'll be sending my bodyguards away now. Or maybe you'll order them to kill me?"

"It should at least be entertaining," I shrugged. I pointed at Skotia. "Tear him to pieces."

"As you wish, my master," Skeesk responded, both him and his brother drawing their blades again.

Skotia slowly stood up. With a sweep of his right hand, he sent Skeesk flying into a pillar, Force choking him. He turned his gaze to Skarsk, pure fury in his eyes. Skarsk turned to run, Skotia crushing Skeesk's windpipe. As Skeesk's lifeless body fell to the floor, Skotia swept with his left hand. Skarsk went flying headfirst into the wall. He collided with a horrible crunch, and fell to the ground, skull presumably in pieces.

"You shouldn't have done that," Skotia seethed. "The bodyguards - they're nothing. Show."

I stared at him, both of us gazing into the other's hate-filled eyes, though Skotia only had the one.

"But you subverted my authority - took my slaves from me. And that makes me angry," Skotia explained, slowly walking in front of his desk. "And killing you will be over too soon."

I gripped my lightsaber, but did not ignite it.

"No," Skotia said. "I think you're going to have to suffer first."

He drew his lightsaber, while I pulled out the device. His eye went wide with surprise as I activated it. Instantly, Skotia reeled as his mechanical components began to malfunction, sparks beginning to come off various parts. He began to breathe heavily, his robotic gasps piercing through the air. Standing up, he raised his blade to strike, and I reached for my own lightsaber. Igniting it, I deflected his strike, throwing his lightsaber to the side. Faster than I expected, he rotated and Force pushed me, sending me flying backwards. I braced for impact, slamming into a wall. I landed on one knee, unharmed.

Rushing him, I pressed the assault, knowing that the only way he'd make a move is with the Force. With this in mind, I kept up constant pressure, not allowing him any breathing room. I watched as his mechanical parts sparked and glitched with every move, as Skotia's mechanical half struggled to keep up. He ducked underneath a sideways slash, and jabbed at my legs. I jumped, and Skotia backpedaled. He tried to Force push, but I pushed back, overpowering him in his weakened state. The push sent his lightsaber flying out of his hand, crashing into the wall behind him.

Skotia stumbled backwards and braced up against a pillar. "What is this?" he struggled to ask, his mechanical components shutting down. "How… did you… Zash! Zash! You've killed me!"

I sneered. "Don't blame Zash. This is all me."

Skotia dropped to one knee. "Mindless… you don't know what Zash can do," he wheezed, his mechanics struggling to work. "Think - think of how many years she must have spent plotting my death."

I continued to stare at him, ignoring what he was saying, smiling at his pain.

"She will kill you. Just like… she's killed… me." Skotia let out one last gasp before collapsing, dead.

"If that day comes, I'll be ready for her," I said to nobody at all.

* * *

"Here's the Nexus-Room Cantina," Nox announced. The music and laughter could be heard from outside. "This is where I met Zash after killing Skotia."

The group of children murmured, none of them having ever been in a cantina.

"Skotia was the apprentice to Darth Thanaton, who ended up taking Zash - and eventually me - as his new apprentice. As head of the Pyramid of Ancient Knowledge, it became clear why Zash wanted Skotia dead." Nox chuckled. "Clearly, you'd all rather experience the cantina. Go ahead, but pay attention, I still have more to tell you."

* * *

The cantina scene wasn't really for me. As a slave, I had never been exposed to such luxuries, and as a Sith I had spent most of my time trying not to get killed. The sense of relaxation was not something I had grown accustomed too. Regardless, I came in, going to Zash's room on the second floor. It seemed to be a gathering of some sort, with other Sith Lords. Again, not really my thing.

"These prattling creatures call themselves Sith?" Khem asked. "The legacy of Tulak Hord is lost."

 _Tell me about it,_ I thought.

"I'm sorry, will you excuse me?" Zash asked, hearing me - or more likely, Khem - enter. "I need to have a quick chat with my apprentice."

"If you must," another Lord responded.

Zash stood up and walked over to me. "Thank the Emperor you've arrived," she said. "It doesn't matter how much one drinks - these parties are just dull dull dull dull dull." She gazed at me intensely. "I hope you've come to cheer me up."

I nodded. "I have done as you asked, and killed the Darth."

"Brilliant. Simply brilliant," Zash beamed. "You have performed magnificently, apprentice. None of this would've been possible without you."

I smiled. I was about to ask something, until Zash's holocommunicator came online. With a puzzled expression, she pulled it out and answered it. The person on the other end was an old Darth. Tall, slender and wrinkled, with a mechanical neck brace supporting his grey-haired head. I recognized his face, but couldn't remember the name. All i knew was that this man was recently promoted to the Dark Council, which meant that this call was serious business.

"Lord Zash," the man said sternly.

"Darth Thanaton!" Zash exclaimed, feigning intoxication. "I'm honored."

I slowly stepped back. "Don't let me interrupt you," I said.

"Don't go anywhere just yet, apprentice," Zash told me. "This call won't take long, and I have some further instructions for you." She turned her attention back to Thanaton. "As I said, my Lord, I'm honored, but why call me?"

"You have nerve, Zash - nerve. But I thought you were smarter," he said.

"With all respect, Darth Thanaton, I don't know what you're talking about," she responded.

"Don't play ignorant with me, Zash," Thanaton demanded. "Skotia's dead, and you killed him."

 _That didn't take long,_ I thought.

"Skotia?" Zash asked, surprised. "Dead? That's the first I've heard of it. When did this happen?"

"Just now, Zash - and you know it," Thanaton said impatiently. "What did you expect to gain? His position? His title? You know it doesn't work that way. Where's your discretion?"

"Discretion? I've been at this party for ages." Zash giggled. "I may have had a little much to drink, but I'm fairly certain I haven't murdered anyone." She paused. "Though I have always fancied Skotia's chambers - so much more shelf space."

"Zash!" Thanaton interrupted, visibly annoyed. "I don't want to have this conversation by holo. Report to my chambers immediately."

"Yes, Darth Thanaton. "It will be my pleasure," Zash cheerily responded as Thanton disconnected.

I frowned. "Are we in trouble?" I asked.

"Give me time to talk to Thanaton and then meet me in Darth Skotia's chambers," Zash instructed. "And don't worry - you've played your part, now it's time for me to play mine." She smiled, and put a hand on my shoulder. "We did it, apprentice."

I bowed as she left, before taking a seat at the bar. Ordering a drink, I took a minute to reflect on what I'd done. Skotia was probably right, Zash had spent years planning his death. Sending me into the slave camps to find a Trandoshan relic, storming Lord Grathan's estate to obtain a cybernetics neutralizer, neither of those could just be concocted on a whim. Despite all of that planning, I still had to take him down myself, which was somewhat disappointing. Had I already grown that strong, or was Skotia not as challenging an opponent as Zash had made him out to be? I had no idea.

* * *

"Zash was smart," Nox declared, taking a sip of his drink. "She was unliked, yes, but she was smart. She could create crazy plans, negotiate with skill and grace, and found all sorts of forbidden knowledge." He sighed. "I almost miss her."

Khem glared at Nox. "It had better stay 'almost.'" he demanded.

Nox smiled. "If there was ever any doubt, you wouldn't be standing here right now."

"What's the story behind Khem's problems with Zash?" someone asked.

Nox finished his drink. "At first, the same problem everyone else had with her: she was anti-tradition, an outcast of sorts. Khem had fond memories of his time with Tulak Hord, so anything that deviated from that perfection was seen as a liability," Nox explained. "There are more reasons, but I'll get to those later. More immediately, there's the story of how Zash handled her meeting with Thanaton."

* * *

I entered Skotia's old chambers, only to find two unknown Sith Lords skulking around. One wore red robes, with short-cut black hair. The other wore purple robes, with slightly longer brown hair. If they were here, it meant word of Skotia's death had travelled faster than I expected, and these two were here to find out more about it. I calmly strode inside, hoping to find out more.

"There!" the purple-robed one, Lord Kirnon, said. "There he is! Lord Zash's apprentice. Surely he knows."

"He wouldn't tell us if he did," the other one, Calaverous, responded.

Khem shook his head. "More prattle. It hurts the ears."

Kirnon shrugged. "Still, it doesn't hurt to ask, does it?"

'Let it rest, Kirnon," Lord Calaverous sighed.

He shook his head. "I will not let it rest. Everyone knows Lord Zash was at the party when Skotia was killed, and yet everyone knows she killed him." Kirnon paced uncomfortably. "She somehow devised a way of being in two places at once. If I let it rest, we'll all be dead."

"Don't be silly," I said, with a malicious smile. "I'm the one who killed Skotia."

"Now you're the one who's being silly," Kirnon sighed.

"I wouldn't underestimate him, Kirnon," Calaverous admitted, looking at me. "He looks dangerous enough to me."

"But a Dark Lord of the Sith!" Kirnon exclaimed. "He's only an apprentice, Calaverous." Kirnon turned back to me. "Please, you must tell me - how did Zash kill Darth Skotia?"

I shook my head. "Lord Zash is innocent," I said flatly.

"Clearly he's not saying anything, Kirnon," Lord Calaverous pointed out. "Let it rest."

"Fine, then. Fine. But I'm warning you, Calaverous," Kirnon said. "Lord Zash is becoming too powerful, too quickly."

I smiled. _She's not the one you should be worried about._

"Since when has anyone in the history of the Sith committed a murder so brazenly, yet make it appear that she was somewhere else the entire time?" Kirnon shook his head, as the two Lords walked out of the room. "It's enough to wake the Emperor, I tell you."

I was amazed at how much chaos Zash's bold plan had caused. Her rival was dead, and no matter how hard people tried to pin the murder on her, nobody could. I knew then, more than ever, that I was extremely lucky to be Zash's apprentice. I had to remind myself that this was only a preliminary plan, and that Zash's true goals would be explained soon. Satisfied, I continued into Zash's office.

"Perfect timing, apprentice," Zash said. "I just met with that insufferable Thanaton, and I have good news."

I smiled. "Everyone's talking about how you killed Skotia," I said.

"Good. Let them talk," Zash responded. "They can't prove anything - and it'll drive them mad." She smiled back at me. "And my meeting went exactly as I planned. You would've been proud of me. I went in to a reprimand - but I emerged a Darth."

I nodded. "You've certainly earned it," I told her.

"I did more than you realize," Zash said. "Nevertheless, what's important is that we are finally free to act."

 _And I'm one step closer to obtaining this power I've been promised,_ I thought.

"Remember that map you found on Korriban that pointed us to the power of Tulak Hord?" she asked. "The first piece of that artifact, that power, is here on Dromund Kaas. This piece is in the deepest chamber of the Dark Temple. Skotia always hoarded the key to the chamber like a Hutt hoards his credits." She paused, admiring the Skotia-less view. "Now I have Skotia's title, his chambers, his research and his key. He always said I would enter the Dark Temple over his rusting corpse."

I smiled, appreciating the irony of the situation.

"However," she continued. "I won't be the one to go into the Dark Temple - you will."

My smile faded. "Why me?" I asked.

"Her breath stinks of Sith lies," Khem answered.

"Before I went to Korriban to choose an apprentice," Zash explained, ignoring Khem, "A furious apparition awakened in the Dark Temple, implacable in its anger, murdering all who trespassed on the innermost chamber. But I had a dream. An apprentice of low origin humbled himself before the apparition, pacifying it. That's why you and your peers were singled out."

"Wait," I interjected. "You want me to bow to this apparition?"

"You must go into the Temple and face the apparition, and when you do, I believe that your humility will be the key," Zash continued. "Still, I want you to know - I'm not certain you're the one from my dream. I fear I may be sending you to your death."

"Don't worry about me, master," I said, feeling no fear from the notion of this spirit.

"You're right. You retrieved the holocron on Korriban when no one else could - if that's not proof of your destiny, I don't know what is." Zash breathed a sigh of relief. "Tulak Hord's power awaits us both. We must not lose sight of this goal."

I nodded, and Zash picked something up off her desk.

"Use this glyph to enter the innermost chamber of the Dark Temple," Zash instructed. "Humble yourself before the apparition, and bring back the piece of the artifact."

"Even the great Tulak Hord did not tangle with spirits," Khem warned. "Tread lightly, little Sith."

I nodded at Khem and bowed to Zash, before leaving.

On the shuttle to the Imperial Outpost near the Dark Temple, I tried to think about what I knew about the location. Unfortunately, that wasn't much. The only thing I could think of was it, like many others, was a place of tremendous dark Force power. From this I determined that there would definitely be people guarding it, also infused with dark side energy. I sighed, and shook my head. It looked like this was going to be another one of those missions.

Upon arrival, I could see many worried Imperial soldiers and officers standing around. They told me that this was as far as they could safely expand before the Temple's dark Force energy was able to corrupt them. Despite multiple warnings to not press forward, I continued down the path. At first, I noticed nothing, seeing as the entire planet radiated dark Force energy. However, when I got closer to the Temple entrance, I saw the corrupted.

There were hundreds, maybe thousands of corrupted Imperials, bandits, even a few Sith. They all seemed to be in a trance, their minds completely overwhelmed by the aura. Khem, to my surprise, was able to use the dark Force powers he possessed to hide us from view, allowing us to sneak past the corrupted. I looked around and saw that even some of Dromund Kaas' wildlife was under the influence, and shuddered. What kind of death trap was Zash trying to lure me into?

We approached the final stairway that led to the Temple's entrance, and finally got to see it in person. Its size was larger than that of the Korriban Academy, however its colours much less vivid. A single shade of grey seemed to envelop the building, statues and ground surrounding it. As we walked up to the doorway, a single Sith in our path seemed to look right at us. My suspicions were confirmed when it activated two lightsabers and leapt right at me. As I reached for my weapon, I saw Khem's vibrosword go flying towards our attacker. It impaled its chest, sending it flying backwards, until it hit the ground, dead. We continued walking, Khem retrieving his vibrosword as we went.

The inside of the Temple had an ominous green glow. I could see the lanterns hanging from the ceiling, though I did not know what powered them. The inner chamber was filled with more statues, some of which were falling apart, and even more corrupted people. The dark side energy was so strong in here, however, that Khem's manipulation of it rendered us completely invisible. The chamber Zash talked about was on the second floor, so we went up another flight of stairs, then into the corridor.

As we walked down the hallway, mysterious voices whispered all around us. I could not sense a direction; these voices must be coming from the apparition I came here to appease. With slight difficulty, we pressed forward, the voices refusing to stop. The corridor ended in a dead end, a wall obstructing the path. Retrieving the glyph Zash gave me, I held it out towards the wall. It rose up into the ceiling, the secret chamber now available. The voices suddenly stopped, which worried me the most.

The chamber was mostly empty, save for a chest in the center, surrounded by some runes. While I had no doubt that the artifact was in there, I saw no spirit. I looked around, trying to find it, but the Temple's energy made it hard to feel with the Force. Uncomfortable, I walked towards the chest. As I passed into the inner ring, I felt a cold breeze from behind me. Turning around, I saw only Khem, guarding the entrance. However, when I turned back around, I saw the spirit.

Its armor and mask were unrecognizable, presumably from a different time. Without hesitation, the spirit raised its arms, and the Force threw me into the air. Floating for only a moment, I could feel the Force pulling me down, and my body slammed into the ground. Khem ran towards me, the spirit standing in front of the chest. Pushing myself up onto one knee, I extended my arms, throwing rage-fueled lightning at the spirit. It passed right through, crashing into the wall behind it. The spirit raised its hand again, and I could feel the air escaping my lungs. Rising off the ground, I clutched my neck, the spirit using Force choke.

"Yes - yes! I have been waiting for you," the spirit said. "I felt your movements in the Force, and they stirred me from my nightmare."

The spirit lowered its hand, and I dropped to the ground. Gasping for air, I could barely stand up.

"I am still to weak to leave, but I knew if I made myself enough of a nuisance, you would eventually come," the spirit continued. "The Sith throw flesh endlessly at what they cannot control. And here you are, blood of my blood. Here you are."

I slowly stood up, my entire body in terrible pain. "What are you talking about?" I asked, barely able to breathe.

"Ah, you don't know me," the spirit sighed, sounding disappointed. "Has our family fallen so far that the son of my sons does not know the name of Kallig, the name so revered in the annals of the Sith?"

I had heard the name Kallig before, while doing some research into the Sith. However, I didn't remember the name from reading texts, but from somewhere long before that.

"You are my descendant - by how many generations, I do not know," the spirit told me. "But know this: Your strength in the Force has awakened me from my stupor."

Of course! Lord Kallig was the Sith that my father always talked about, back when we were still slaves. He was an immensely powerful Sith Lord, strong in lightsaber and Force. However, he was betrayed, his name forgotten, and his family sold into slavery. My father always told me that some of Kallig's power remained in one of his descendants, and that they would possess more power than anyone could have ever imagined. Perhaps my father was on to something.

"What do you mean I awakened you?" I asked, still somewhat unsure.

"When the weaklings of this planet trespassed my tomb, I rose, resuming my former life. This Temple became my kingdom, and I was once more a Lord of the Sith," Kallig explained, seeming much more amiable now. "But when you first grasped the hilt of your lightsaber, I knew that my hour had come and gone - that your strength, not mine, would return our family to glory."

"But I'm a former slave!" I exclaimed. While I really wanted to believe this spirit, I still had many doubts about who he was - or even who I was.

"That is my shame," Kallig admitted. "I was once one of the greatest Lords of the Sith. If I'd been wiser, I could have secured my family's greatness." He looked away from me, unable to keep eye contact. "But I let down my guard and was betrayed by a man called Tulak Hord, whom I trusted as a friend."

"And yet you speak as if alive," Khem growled. "I would serve my master well to correct that."

"Ha! Your master is dead, beast. You serve the child of Kallig now." He turned to face me. "Flesh of my flesh, you should teach your servant to obey."

If Kallig and Tulak Hord really were at odds, then it would do me well to keep Khem in my service. "I defeated him once. I can control him," I responded.

"Such confidence. Such pride." Kallig shook his head. "In restoring our bloodline to glory, you must not make the same mistake. Treachery is the Sith's endless game - you must win it."

I nodded. "Don't worry about me."

Kallig nodded back. "Beware your master, beware your apprentice. Never be taken by surprise. Do these things, and you will be unstoppable," he told me. "But you have not come to see me: you have come for the artifact I managed to wrest from Tulak Hord before he died."

Kallig Force lifted the artifact from the chest, and tossed it to me. I caught it, looking over the markings etched into it.

"Take the artifact, but be careful," Kallig warned. "I know not what it does. Only that betrayal follows it everywhere."

I looked up at Kallig. "I'll use caution," I responded.

"I hunger for the day when our power will be restored. We will meet again." Kallig slowly faded into the Force after finishing.

* * *

"Ironically, Kallig was the source of the massive dark Force energy within the Temple," Nox explained. "Now that he's stopped, I'm working on creating an expedition within the Temple, hopefully to educate certain people on the history of the Sith."

"Can we go see the Temple?" someone asked. The rest of the group buzzed with excitement.

"Kallig's influence still possesses most of the inhabitants of the Temple," Nox responded. "I've sent a request to the Dark Council head of the military division, however I don't know when the Temple will be cleared out."

The buzz died, and the group became much less enthusiastic.

"Don't worry, I have one more surprise for you all," Nox said. "We're heading back to the spaceport, so keep listening."

* * *

As I left the Temple, I felt my holocomm buzz. I turned it on to see Darth Zash.

"Apprentice! Do you have the artifact yet?" she asked.

I nodded. "I have the artifact in hand."

"Of course. Brilliant. Magnificent!" Zash sounded genuinely excited. "Hurry back to Skotia's - I mean, my - chambers. I cannot wait to see this artifact, and I have a surprise for you."

I raised my eyebrows. 'What kind of surprise?" I asked.

"Trust me - you'll love it," Zash reassured me. "Now, hurry back with the artifact! I can't wait!"

I had a lot to think about on the way back to Zash's office. If Kallig really was my ancestor, and I was truly destined for unimaginable power, then what role did Zash play in it all? She couldn't be on good terms with Kallig, otherwise he would know what the artifact did, and wouldn't have guarded it so violently. So far, the exercises Zash had sent me on were making me stronger, so I continued to trust her. Hopefully I wasn't leading myself into a trap.

"Fantastic, apprentice. You're just in time for my surprise," Zash said as I entered. "Since you left for the Dark Temple, I've been reading and reading and reading. Skotia's chambers are a treasure trove of research. Who would've thought a man like that had such a curious intellect?"

I stood there, waiting. While I appreciated information as much as the next guy, I didn't quite share Zash's enthusiasm.

"It almost makes me regret that we had to kill him," Zash continued. "But let me see this wonderful artifact you found!"

"If you knew what I had to go through to get this…" I muttered.

"It was a challenge, and you overcame it wonderfully," Zash reassured me. "But tell me, how did you manage to pacify the apparition?"

I decided it was best to protect Kallig's identity for the time being. " First I took a magnet, and then a chance cube…" I lied.

"Fair enough. Your secrets are your own. I, however, will not be so guarded," Zash responded. "I have been studying Tulak Hord's artifacts for some time, and this one you've brought back confirms everything I've suspected." She looked at it, then nodded. "These artifacts will change everything, apprentice - you, especially. They will make you more powerful than you could imagine. I have foreseen it."

'I don't know," I responded, thinking back to what Kallig told me. "I can imagine quite a bit of power."

"Never such as this," Zash told me. "This artifact is one of five that together describe a peculiar ritual used by the great Tulak Hord when he conquered the Dromund system. Until I have all the artifacts, I cannot understand the full nature of the ritual, but I have foreseen that you alone will wield the ritual's power."

I could feel Khem seething behind me, hearing Zash talk about his old master.

"The artifacts are scattered across the galaxy; some hidden by Tulak Hord himself, and some wrenched from his hands by betrayers," Zash explained. "Document's in Skotia's effects points to Balmorra and Nar Shaddaa, but I will need to do more research to locate the other two."

I nodded. "I'll get started right away," I told her.

"It's not much to go on, but I'll continue to do more research behind the scenes to get you more information," Zash promised. "But first - I believe I mentioned a surprise earlier. If you're going to find these artifacts, you'll need a ship and so I have ordered you one. All you need to do is pick it up."

"For me?" I asked, very much surprised. "You're too kind."

"Yes, you've earned it," Zash smiled. "You'll find your ship at the spaceport. Then, the galaxy is yours to explore. "Don't forget to contact me when you reach each planet for more information on the artifacts' locations. Good luck, and good hunting."

"She will never command the power of Tulak Hord," Khem declared. "Remember, little Sith, I am always hungry."

* * *

"And here it is," Nox announced, gesturing towards the ship. "A Fury-class interceptor, this ship has served me well."

"And it's yours?" one apprentice asked.

"Can we go inside?" another one also asked.

"Go inside, get prepared for travel," Nox instructed. 'But don't touch anything, or Andronikos will have your head."

The children excitedly ran towards the ship, eager to explore. Nox stood back, chuckling.

 _I was their age once,_ Nox thought. _If they all have as much of an appetite for knowledge as I do, the Sith might yet survive._

The thought comforted Nox as he followed the children onto the ship.


End file.
